Eggs!

We've waited and waited and waited. We started to think that the girls were going to wait until spring to start laying those eggs. But we were wrong!

Friday, while I was at work, my little buddies came running in to say, "hello." That's not weird, they usually come for a visit. But they were carrying a piece of paper - together. What was it?  Once they reached me, they opened it. It was the best picture I have EVER seen. A picture of the two of them, as happy as I've ever seen them, posed in front of the coop holding an EGG!

So egg #1 arrived on Friday. (September 7, 2012)  We're not quite sure who laid it, but we're guessing Magdalene or Buttercup. However, it's more likely to be Buttercup's first egg as Magda (who's an Aracauna) will probably lay green/blue eggs.

Saturday, we ran out first thing to check the nest box. (That's where egg #1 was found) The box was empty. Later in the day, I decided to clean the coop. I'm trying to decide exactly what to do with their used litter, so I'm keeping it in a big garbage can for the time being. I was digging around in the run and the garbage can was sitting open on the other side of the coop. I heard a chicken jump on something (that's what they do) but was still surprised when I found 3 of them inside that garbage can. The two blackies (Tinkerbell and Lucky) stayed in it for awhile and were acting very odd. The noises they were making sure made me think that one or the other wanted to lay an egg!  Well, then it started to rain and they soon jumped out and headed back inside the coop. (I still think, had they been given the chance and time, one of them would've plopped an egg in there...)

Shortly after the rain stopped, we went back outside again. After more odd little chicken noises and some strange behavior, Tink laid her first egg!

Sunday morning, we check again, and found nothing. After church, however, we all opened the nest box to find another egg!  According to Travis, who was working outside all morning and witnessed Lucky's strange behavior and noises, she was the one who laid this egg. (Her first)

Monday morning, I checked the nest box first thing. Yes! There was another one! But I waited for the boys to look -- they were so excited. We weren't sure who was the proud 'mother' of this egg, but after calling Travis, we determined it was Tink again. She had been acting ready to lay when he got up to head to work.

Later in the day, Colin and I were outside and could hear the clucky little noises. He ran over to find Lucky sitting in the same spot they ALL sit in. He moved her and low and behold, there lay our 5th egg in 4 days!

Our chickens have grown up! 

We're learning the cues - they make some great noises and act a little odd right before they are ready to pop that egg out. It's interesting that all of our girls have laid their eggs in the exact same spot!  We anxiously await Magdalene laying her first egg - will it, indeed, be green or blue? Or did she actually lay that one on Friday? Oh, this is the fun part - the part we've ALL been waiting for!

What on earth will tomorrow bring? Probably some more eggs and a yummy breakfast!