Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[tokenwelshman]

Amy has been behaving oddly all afternoon - making strange cooing noises, and then hiding in some undergrowth and refusing to move until I retrieved her.

 

Then my daughter came to find me and announced that she had found an egg, on the path outside the back door. It was still damp. All three chooks were hanging around and looking innocent.

 

Here it is:

Notice the strange pitted texture. The shell is firm, though.

 

Here it is compared to examples from the other two:

 

And here is herself - what do we think, does that comb look like she is old enough to have started?

 

The only thing throwing me is that we don't seem to have had an egg from Martha today - that's the first day she hasn't laid since we got her, if this is the case. So it could be that Martha has laid a strange anaemic looking egg. But Amy's behaviour before makes me think she has started. If so - woohoo!

[Mollie333]

I wouldn't think shes old enough, tbh.

Are you sure Martha had some sort of blip? My girl, Rita, sometimes does this, but normally very thin shelled, also.

[tokenwelshman]

Well, it's quite a small egg, and Martha tends to lay small ones, compared to Rose.

 

It also occurred to me that as I have Amy on antibiotics for her dodgy leg, I wouldn't be able to eat the egg if it is hers anyway...

[Tutti Frutti]

Depends on the Anti-Bs, TWM, but stick to your vet's advice... (Tylan is just approved for "no egg withdrawal")

 

PS I think it's Martha's - Amy's still too diddy Lovely girl

[tokenwelshman]

She's on Baytril, and the vet did say there is a withdrawal period, although I'm sure he only said 7 days.

 

He also said I now cannot eat Amy herself, should I wish to... like that was ever going to happen!

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Space Chick]

Love the names TWM, my 15 girls are all named after Dr Who assistants too

[tokenwelshman]

Today we have three eggs for the first time!

 

 

So I am inclined to think the strange pale egg which appeared the other day, after lots of odd behaviour and cooing from Amy, was indeed her first egg. Which, packed full of antibiotics for her gammy leg, went into a nice big jug of omlette mix for the family! Oh well, what's the worst that can happen - I may never get avian flu?!

 

Anybody recognise the different colours as being specific to my breeds? Do Speckledeys tend to lay pale eggs?

 

> Love the names TWM, my 15 girls are all named after Dr Who assistants too

 

As I said to somebody else, I can't ever get a cockerel, I'd have to call him Adric...

[Space Chick]

 

Or call him The Doctor Thats what I'd do, and if one died and you got another.... it would be a regeneration

 

As for Speckledy's - my Sarah-Jane lays dark speckled eggs - not pale at all

[Minnie&Moose]

Our speckledy also lays a dark brown egg - but without speckles. So perhaps your alien egg isn't Amy's.

[tokenwelshman]

Our speckledy also lays a dark brown egg - but without speckles. So perhaps your alien egg isn't Amy's.

 

I think we've had three eggs from Amy now - each one slightly darker than the last, and each with a slightly less "Ooops, word censored!"bly shell. Is it possible she's started laying a little earlier than she should have done, and so each eggs she produces is more and more like a speckledy egg "should" be? On the days we have had 3 eggs, none of them have been dark brown and speckled...

[tokenwelshman]

 

Or call him The Doctor Thats what I'd do, and if one died and you got another.... it would be a regeneration

 

Hmm... it'd work if I knew that on the unhappy day that the cockerel died, he would suddenly erupt into a ball of light, and turn from a Black Rock into a Bluebelle (for example). I couldn't bear the thought of actually having the Doctor put down, or worse still, having him carried off by a fox (who would have to be named Davros as a consequence).

 

Have I thought too hard about this?