I'm very proud to announce that my new girl Gingerbread laid her very first egg yesterday morning!
We still have her separate in her own cage because we haven't got the run and coop totally situated, so, she sleeps in her kennel and Mrs. Mcnugget sleeps in the coop right next to it. These are both on our patio next to the house, as our coop is very small and only fit for two hens.
Every morning, for the last month, I come outside to let out Mrs. Mcnugget. She is the stray/disowned member of a flock that roams around the rural properties near my home. She is used to wandering, but has decided to stay close since we brought home her new friend, Gingerbread. Mrs. has been laying for us for about a month (or more) now, since she healed from her injuries and has become completely comfortable being our chicken. She is still learning how to be the new flock leader, since prior to Gingerbread's arrival I held that position. But Mrs. seems up to the task of being bossy britches.
The two hens get along, for the most part, with Ginger being very timid and much smaller than Mrs. Mcnugget, who likes to intimidate and peck/chase Ginger somewhat. They seem to get on fine when they're together in our not quite finished run. But Gingerbread has to be carried down to the run in the kennel because we don't trust her to get herself there just yet, and we are afraid she will run off if we just open the cage. We have not tested to see if she would make her way to the fenced in run area. We only know that, at this point, she prefers not to be in close proximity to Mrs. Mcnugget, and therefore doubt she would follow Mrs to the run.
Now, I have no real way of knowing how old Ginger is, but she was molting when we got her. Last week she dropped a ton of feathers, lots of white ones. She is happiest when she gets to roam free in the run, scratching and digging, dirt bathing and napping. And she isn't afraid to let me know first thing in the morning that she is ready to roam. Her voice has been changing quite a bit this last week, and has usually been very soft 'tucking', 'purring' and 'burring', along with very quiet whimpering, puppyish noises.
Yesterday was a bit different, however. I came out, let out Mcnugget, fed the birds, talked with them and drank my coffee. Mrs decided to go off to hunt for bugs and grass and I stayed to talk to Ginger. Then, she began singing while I went inside to get a refill and some treats. I thought it was Mrs. Mcnugget singing her egg song, although it sounded a bit rougher than usual. I was surprised when I came outside to find only Ginger on the patio. That's when she started dancing too!
Gingerbread looked like she was doing the twist! But then she started squatting, and I knew what she was doing. I only knew because I had read up on chicken behavior in the forums the day before. I never thought there would be an egg so soon, as I've never seen her exhibit any of these behaviors before. But I kept watching her. I looked down at my Kindle for half a second and when I looked back up, there was Ginger, standing over a sweet little, pinkish, creamy, sand colored egg. She looked every confused!
Before the egg had even dried Mrs. Mcnugget was back on the patio, next to Gingerbread's kennel announcing her egg for her. That hen walked around that cage singing and singing for her little sister. Then she jumped in her own nest and made sure to lay an even bigger egg. Mcnugget then sang her egg song some more and disappeared until it wasn't so hot.
Gingerbread took to rolling her little egg and hugged it with her neck, and she even sat on it for a few minutes. Then she realized she had better things to do and began whimpering to go to her run. So, we carried her down in her chariot, as she captained the ship from her perch, and was a very happy hen.
We had taken out the nesting material from her kennel shortly after we put it in, when we first got her, because she kept pooping all over it. We didn't think to put any more in because she never displayed any laying behavior prior to yesterday. Today, she has her own little nest box and she has already made the effort to 'fix' her nest and to attempt another go at laying. I'm so excited and proud if this sweet, little Gingerbird!
*Edited* Update! Gingerbread laid her second egg! 2 days in a row. Yay!View attachment 1147292
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