Sunday: While out tending the chooks before going to church, I noticed that Mildred was checking out the new nest box. While I was out there, she even went into it, stayed for a couple of minutes, and then came back out. I suspected an egg was in the works, but couldn't stay. When I came back from church that afternoon and opened the top, sure enough. A medium beige egg. Time will tell if she's getting back to business now.

This morning: in the small space between the barn door and the goat gate I found two soft shell eggs. One was just the skin of the shell. The other was intact. So now it looks as if at least two of the Reds are getting ready to start laying. Considering the other soft shell skins I've been finding, it could be all of them. However, checking with the person I got the Reds from, the two New Hampshires are two to three weeks (I can't recall and my notes calendar is hanging in the coop) older than the RIR.

Tonight I'm digging out my golf bag and getting a handful of golf balls. When Mildred started laying, I put a golf ball in the next box, then put her inside and hope she put two and two together. She did. Now I'll need to do the same with the Reds and hope that they take the hint.

I suspect they'll use the upper nest boxes because 1) they can fit into them, and 2), they are up where Mildred won't go.

Teaching chickens where to lay. Who would have thought...