We are frequently asked questions about our chickens and to be honest, we often don’t know the answers! I’ve mentioned before that we can tell the difference between eggs from different chickens and this is as true now as it was when I mentioned it. Occasionally something “odd” will happen. In this case, is the egg on the left massively oversized or the one on the right tiny? We’ve had examples of both scenarios – about six months ago we had a white egg that was massive – double the “normal” size. Poor Dusty’s eyes must have watered when she laid it! In this case, the egg on the right is tiny – about the size of a small-ish walnut.

Sadly, through no fault of their own, our hens have found their wanderings restricted of late. Firstly they started laying their eggs in a spot in the garden so well hidden that even after days of stalking them and more days of poking about under bushes, behind trees and on the top of walls, we were unable to find where their nest. Usually a few days in “confinement” normally ensures they start laying in the nest box again so that’s what we did. All well and good. Then we returned their freedom to them and allowed them out into the big, wide world again and sure enough they carried on laying in the nest box. Fantastic. Job done.

Well, until the eggs started to get eaten while in the nest box. I discovered that a pair of magpies had found their way into the run, then into the coop and were busy scoffing warm, freshly laid eggs. GGGGrrrrr.

So, Martha, Dusty, Irma and Tina are confined to barracks now until they’ve laid and the eggs have been collected, then I let them out. They kindly let me know they've done their jobs by yelling at me from the run and as soon as I have heard the yells two or three times, I know that they’re all done (Martha only lays about one egg every 3-4 months now because she’s old). I pop around the corner and gather the warm eggs, then let the girls have their freedom. They have this lovely way of showing their appreciation by running down the lawn flapping their wings and cackling!

So – is it Irma or Tina who has laid the titchy egg? Irma – we know the fat, squat ones like the one on the left are laid by Tina! I can also tell you that the tiny egg got cracked because I dropped it when I went to show DM what I’d got so when we had a bastardised (veggie) version of spaghetti carbonara tonight for supper, the little ‘un was used because with its crack it wouldn’t keep. When I broke it into the bowl, its yolk was like thick white, not like yolk at all so the whole process had gone wrong somehow. What we can’t tell you is why.