Today’s eggs laid in odd places

It’s been a funny day for the egg laying. I went out to the girls soon after first light and was surprised to find Dotty’s egg on the coop floor under the nest box. She hadn’t laid yesterday so I assume she laid at first light and didn’t manage to get to the nest box in time.

Bluebell laid her egg a little later, in the little coop as usual. Next time I checked I spotted Honey’s egg on the coop floor, opposite the nest box, between the bottom perch and the outside wall of the coop. She had made a little nest there and I have no idea why she chose this spot but she has done this once before.

Pepper has only been laying one egg a week recently and never seems to know when this is going to be. Most days she will go and sit in the nest box for up to an hour then come out again without laying an egg. Today she was spending a lot of time sat under the bush. She seems to be molting and feeling a bit under the weather. Next time I checked on her there was her egg, next to her under the bush. Pepper has never laid an egg outside before. A little while later she went and sat in the little coop (where she normally lays her eggs) for about half an hour. I really don’t think she knew she had already laid her egg.

Pepper about to go and sit in the little coop

The eggs have been slowing down as we head towards winter which is what I expected. Pepper’s average has dropped from 5 per week to 2 per week then now to 1 per week. Dotty’s average has dropped from 6 per week to 5 per week and Bluebell’s average has dropped from 7 per week to 6 per week. Pepper has always laid less so I’m not surprised hers have dropped the most.

I also think that Pepper and Dotty are molting. It’s been more difficult for me to tell because they already had missing feathers from the feather pulling in the spring. Pepper has had a bare bottom all summer but now has feathers coming in on her bottom but has developed some bare patches under her wings. She also looks very tatty. Dotty has feathers coming in on her previously bare head and neck but also looks very tatty. I can’t see much change in Bluebell.

Pepper’s tatty look

Dotty’s tatty look

Pepper is even less feathered under the wing than Dotty but it can only be seen when they stand up straight like Dotty is in this photo. It amuses me to see her standing so proud yet so tattered. Her head feathers have come back in though which is a vast improvement to her looks. I can’t wait to see her with neck feathers again.

Bluebell doesn’t look bad

Bluebell’s tail is a bit ragged in places and she is still missing neck feathers but other than that she still looks pretty good at the moment. I will keep taking photos as the feathers come and go as it will be a good record. It will also be interesting to see if the eggs stop altogether over the winter months. At least we will have banty eggs this winter as they only started laying at the end of May.