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This morning I had two completely separate FIRSTS in the shed.
The first FIRST was an egg sitting in the nest box. I’ve never had an egg waiting in the morning for me before. Technically there ought to be eggs waiting a couple of times a week but – nothing until this morning. It looks about the same size as Lacey’s but is much darker in colour. I have been waiting for Summer (the second bantam) to lay so hopefully this is hers. I am sticking it down in my spreadsheet as hers anyway.
The second FIRST was the appearance of two softies sitting between the bars and touching the shed wall where Izzie and Buffy were roosting last night. I had decided Izzie was too old to lay so I am more than happy to be proven wrong – Buffy has been laying proper hard shells all along but never outside of the nest box. They were also touching each other and I am finding it weird that two birds laid two eggs side by side – not in the nest box – both softies. What’s the chance of that? I broke both of them open and they were proper eggs inside with beautifully rich looking yolks.
I know it looks like a lack of calcium etc but there has always been a source of grit / oyster shell in the run, both in a holder and scattered on the run floor, they free-range and there is plenty of layers mash / bokashi bran for them. I mix in Poultry Spice to their food every morning too.
I suppose I am a little surprised at there being two – had there been only one it would have been easier to take it in my stride.