The Eggs are Coming! The Eggs are Coming!

It seemed like a really long wait this time but my new hens are laying some small eggs - finally.  Actually, they are right on schedule since they are 22 weeks old but it seemed long because our older hens stopped laying for several weeks due to that less than attractive time of molting.

We have had chickens now for about seven years and have learned a lot along the way.  Our first flock was a "gift" from a co-worker that turned out to be 5 roosters and 3 hens.  THAT was an
interesting experience but I learned so much in what is involved in keeping chickens safe from predators and how fun they are to watch on a daily basis.  I felt like the most popular girl on campus when I would take the bowl of scraps out to them daily and they all ran full-tilt toward me to see what I had to offer.

Because I was given that gift years ago to start my flock, I was blessed to be able to give my neighbor ten of the chicks that arrived in June.  We have an eclectic group of Black Stars, Red Stars, Americunas, Barred Rocks, Hamburgs and Black Copper Marans - each one is beautiful and I look forward every day to see the beautiful eggs they have to offer - brown, light brown, deep chocolate brown and blue ones too!  Our whole flock is hens right now, no roosters.

Speaking of roosters, I have been asked many times by non-chicken-owners how we get eggs if we don't have a rooster.  I always giggle just a little and reassure them that chickens will lay anyway - but just don't try to get any of those eggs to hatch!