Someone else is laying...

I found a soft-shell egg, perfect in every other way, in one of the nest boxes.  The soft shell can mean one of two things:  a calcium deficiency or a newly laying hen.  Now, I provide plenty of calcium in the form of crushed oyster shells so I'm sure it's not that, but more likely one of the other ladies has begun to lay.  We shall see.

I caved and bought an electric water warmer base for their water.  In the name of not having a bunch of bloody beaks again this winter, and the fact that I'm working more and can't defrost the water, I think it was a good investment.  I'll report back.