Mango is moulting

Over the last few days I have realised that Mango is moulting. I remembered that last year Mango and Cloud moulted after they had been broody a few times. I looked back at my photos from June last year and sure enough there were photos of Mango and Cloud broody together followed by photos of Mango moulting.

I then looked at photos of the year before and that year they started moulting in July. It seems that Mango and Cloud moult early in the year and each year it has started with Mango first. Each year it has started after several broody bouts. It’s as if their bodies, or should I say hormones, decide that they are done for the year.

Sadly this may mean no more eggs from these two. Game girls have a short season.

In other news, tonight I checked on the girls an hour before the pop hole was due to close and both Red and Snow were in and perched along with Gold and Storm. I checked back half an hour before the pop hole was due to close and Cloud was inside the pop hole looking out and Mango was outside the pop hole looking in.

I decided that I wouldn’t go back until after the pop hole closed as I wanted to see if they would go in on their own and I sometimes think that perhaps I am a distraction for them. The pop hole is currently closing at half past nine.

I went back at half past nine when the pop hole was closed. All the girls were in and perched including Mango and Cloud. I was elated. This was the first time that all six girls were in and perched without any help from me. At last!

I will be leaving them to it from now on but will keep removing the nest boxes until they have been going in for a week as I don’t want to risk upsetting the routine. I think we are there at last. This has been a long time coming and will make such a difference going forward. I hope that this means putting some of the girls in will become a thing of the past and we will be back to the girls going in themselves which was how it always use to be. Going forward I hope to continue this way.