The Trill of Victory

Sweet Pea has introduced us to an as yet unfamiliar chicken utterance: the egg-layer's trill.  She started doing this when being petted while laying, but we're not sure if it is a coo of contentment or a statement more akin to "Leave me alone, can't you see I'm busy?" Quick explanation for nesting box in the garage...these free rangers had taken to laying in unexplored corners of the garage, so we placed a box with pine shavings to make it easier to find them. Barbara the Barred Rock shares this nest exclusively with Sweet Pea when she can't get into the bedroom to lay on the bed. Take a listen (close your eyes as video quality is poor due to the dimly lit ambiance of the nesting zone. That's Barbara in the background clucking away at Sweet Pea to get on with is so she can use the box).

Who Laid That? Egg-citing Stories From The Coop

We closed out the year in December with the biggest egg on record, February begins with the smallest chicken egg I've ever seen. It's about the size of a plump concord grape. These ladies need to know about averaging things out and going for the middle of the road egg.

Lately when we open the coop in the morning there has been the occasional soft egg that appears broken on the floor just below the roosts. Is it so small and soft that it just slips from her warm body in the night? Odd it is.  One of our new old girls is the only one laying and her shells are very soft...so soft that we've found them broken in the nest. The other day a couple old gals were pecking and eating its contents. It may soon be time to process the layer as we're concerned that they may get too interested in eating their eggs.

Most days we average from 5 to 7 eggs now, not including the soft shelled one that usually gets broken. There have been several odd days of only 4 eggs which has made me curious and thinking about scouring the yard for a possible new nesting spot. With plenty else to do, the though hasn't manifested to action. Yesterday Pretty girl and several others were clucking about the woodpile and upon closer inspection, two dirty eggs revealed themselves. Moral to the story, when there are four eggs it's time to forage for the missing egg.

Saturday in the midst of chores, shock collar therapy and the like, we left the door to our detached bedroom ajar. Barbara the Barred Rock is always hanging about the entry way lately looking for hand outs. When I entered the bedroom I got quite a surprise, Barbara nestled in all comfy in the covers of the bed. Warm thoughts of "Aww, isn't that cute" turned quickly to panic as I thought through the consequences of having a chicken in my bed... rushing to pluck her out of the bed and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a beautiful tan egg, still very warm to the touch that she was brooding over.

Tonight I got the distinct honor of putting the girls to bed (I'm usually cooking so I miss out on tucking them in). Dora the Explorer was patiently waiting as usual at the gate to be hand-carried to bed. Being the Buff Orpington that she is, she's likely too stout to make the short but steep flight up to the roost by her own steam (although the Wyandottes are bigger and figure it out!). The front roost was full and it was such a precious sight to see the girls all lined up together, a cozy chicken-pile in the coop. It took me several tries to get Dora up on a roost, but she was patient with me and didn't seem to mind my awkward fumblings.

Chicken Giving

Our Homely Little Barred Rock (We're Disappointed That We'll Never Find Out If She's Really a Dwarf or Will Grow Into That BIG Head)

He & She Barred Rocks

The opportunity to help a neighbor's friend presented itself yesterday. The chickens were free ranging out in the street again and he came across to let us know there was a new dog out and about and it may not be safe for a chicken. After chatting a bit we learned that his friend had recently lost his only hen leaving his rooster despondent, wondering away from home. He asked if he could buy one of our leghorns to give to the lonely rooster. After a few minutes of debate about whether or not it would be OK to separate one of our spoiled girls we decided that this opportunity presented itself to us to help someone else (or someone's rooster) and perhaps that was no coincidence. We offered up any or all of our older girls, gratis, thinking maybe they'd be better off going as a package. He really only needed one, and decided quickly on the one barred rock. So off she went, hopefully to as nice a home as she'd had the short time she was here.

Christmas Present From A Leghorn, The Gift of Eggs

What a beautiful present from one of our four Leghorns. I believe in Christmas elves, and in this case, I'm wondering if an elf or ostrich snuck into the hen house and deposited this humongous gift. Photos don't do it justice, it's about 1/3 larger than any of the other eggs. The egg carton won't even close! Don't know if this is an anomaly or if we can expect more colossal deposits in the future. Either way I feel for the hen who laid this one.

Today is the first day one of the chickens decided to come check out our pantry. Maybe she feels that since she left us a nice gift she's now entitled to house privileges?

It's been an egg-stravaganza here lately and we've been able to gift 4 dozen eggs so far and still have plenty for everyday use.

Nesting Boxes in the Nick of Time?

Long Overdue Nesting Box Partitions

Ironically, Eggs in the Woodshed

Today I happened to be inspired to finish the nesting boxes for the girls. To date we have had only one big long nesting box without dividers. While combing through the shed for spare plywood to finish the job, I came across this egg-citing sight...one (maybe two) of our California Whites, aka Leghorns, aka our current favs, has begun laying. Too cool! Like the woman who delivers on the way to the hospital, the poor girl had to lay her eggs in the woodshed on a tarp because the nesting box was just not finished. No wonder Chicken Little and Snow White were closely inspecting the box building today, remaining in the boxes even as the noisy screwdriver did it's thing...must have sounded like a jackhammer to them. Nonetheless, they remained constant companions throughout the blaring affair. Now I understand a bit better their motivation, and it was not just the possibility that I might possess food, rather a comfy secluded place to nest. Coincidence that after months and months of not finishing the nesting boxes that the hens lay and the nest day I build nexting boxes? I think not. I prefer to believe I am becoming one with the chickens, highly in tune with their needs.

This egg laying confirms our sneaking suspicion that the four little white hens, sold to us as Americaunas are actually a horse of another color...or at least the eggs are. They were de best eggs ever with the most orange yolk.

Today I also installed a light and set a timer up to have it go on at 4 am. None of the hens seems to be molting anymore so hopefully they won't mind.