A Baby Marans Egg

I have been checking out my 5 month old chicks to see if they were showing signs that they would be laying soon. I saw pictures that showed how in just a matter of weeks their combs and waddles can enlarge and get red. The day before yesterday I noticed that two of the chicks and Mr. Knightley were checking out the nest behind the hay bales where we found our surprise bunch of eggs not too long ago.

Funny that they would be looking there…This is the pullet that I thought would be the first one to lay…

You can see clearly that she is developing a nice red crown and waddles. But yesterday when I came down with my treat tray I noticed that one of the Black Marans chicks was missing. I looked all over for her and found her up in the sleeping coop. Way back in the corner she had formed a round nest.

Today, this is what I found…

I didn’t put nesting boxes in this coop, because I intended to move all the new chickens over to the big coop. I have been wondering for days how to go about doing this, but maybe the better plan would be to build nesting boxes onto this coop and let them stay there. It is definitely cozier.

So here she is. Her comb is not as red as the other one, but it seems like she laid the first egg.  I have been waiting to name them until their personalities developed a little more…Maybe Uno???

Here’s her egg in comparison to the older hens…