Red has now gone broody again. She had laid eight eggs in twelve days which was exactly the same as last time. So now we have only Cloud still laying. I know that she will go broody again soon and then will probably moult and that will be the end of her laying this season along with Mango.
Gold is now also moulting. It’s two weeks since she last laid and she usually comes back into lay after around a week. This will mean she will have finished laying for this season too.
Red is also dropping a few feathers but I don’t know if it’s the moult just yet. This is going to be our worse year for eggs since we started chicken keeping.
I think that was has happened is that summer started early this year with an unusually warm May and has continued to be very warm. This has triggered the chicken hormones to keep going broody and those same hormones then say that after going broody x amount of times it’s time to moult.
I had been finding feathers under Gold’s roost spot for days. Last night at bedtime I found tail feathers under Gold’s roost spot.
This morning there were another two of Gold’s tail feathers under her roost spot.
Last year Snow was the last girl to stop laying and Storm was last but one. At the moment though these two are not coming out of their broody spell. I think being broody together has kept it going longer than usual even though the nest boxes are closed most of the day.
I have had to buy some eggs again. This is the first year that I have had to buy eggs several times in the summer. I hope that the new girls will change this around next year.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Most of the girls look very good, they will all soon follow.
They will. It doesn’t long before they look pristine again.
When I first went back to keeping chickens, I was amazed at the moult starting as early as June. Over the years, I’ve learnt that a moult often follows a broody spell and puts an end to egg laying for the season. Between broodiness and moulting, egg supply dwindles so much; I hope that Red comes through this broody spell and lays again. I have eventually dissuaded Chocolate and the crate was empty last night – first time in weeks.
It does seem very early. Well done on dissuading Chocolate. I have had the nest boxes closed all day but the three broodies have huddled together on the patio area or the wooden blocks, sigh!
Ideal in these temperatures; mine have been quite lethargic from late morning onwards.
Comment relating to next post.
Mine have too. Lots of sitting around but a bit of dust bathing. Anything that cools them is good.