5 out of 6

Today the second Dorking laid her first egg. We are now averaging 5 eggs a day from 6 hens, which considering they are at opposite ends age wise for egg laying is pretty good going.

This morning the young hen was in and out of the nest box and frantically pacing up and down the perimeter fence getting quite stressed. Eventually I closed her in the ark along with some food and water and the other Dorking. Within the hour she had laid and is now happily in amongst the others again.


I'm not sure if it was the young hen's unsettled behaviour or the wind but it certainly wasn't a happy camp this morning. Recently it has been pretty peaceful but today Peggy who is normally quite sweet relentlessly picked on the younger group resulting in several lost feathers.
Now the wind has dropped, the young hen has laid and peace has resumed.

The two Legbars are still to come into lay. One has looked as if though she will for a while now, her comb getting redder by the day, but they are still young approx. 19 / 20 weeks.It will be interesting to see if their eggs are blue.