Day 1012 Spring Chickens

 

A few of my happy, healthy hens are really thriving this season. The gray one in the photo is one of three Olive Eggers that Tim and I affectionately call “the Grays” — a little alien humor we’ve adopted over time. The Grays lay beautiful green, and sometimes bluish, eggs that add a lovely splash of color to my egg baskets.

The white hens are White Leghorns, and sure enough, they lay large white eggs like clockwork every day. They’re a smaller bird but definitely at the top of the list when it comes to egg production. They’re a bit wild and not nearly as friendly as our Reds or Golden Girls, but they’ve certainly earned their place in the coop thanks to their relentless laying.

The coop is a flutter of energy and happiness with the arrival of spring — weeds, bugs, warm sunshine (but not yet too hot). Spring and fall are, without a doubt, the chickens’ favorite seasons. You’d think with no rooster the coop would be quiet, but holy cow, hens can be noisy! Especially before and after laying an egg. Seriously, some of them come strutting out of the henhouse and squawk for twenty minutes, letting the world know just how proud they are. I can’t blame them — fresh eggs are amazing. It’s farm-to-table perfection every single day.

With our grandsons visiting for the weekend, the coop wasn’t the only place full of activity. One was off playing golf all day while the other had baseball in the evening. The days of lazy visits seem to be behind us, replaced by busy social and sports schedules. Tim and I sat in the sunshine, watching our flock as we waited for the kids to return home. At their ages, all you really need to do is keep them fed and your job is done. I ended up in bed before the last of them made it back, leaving Tim on watch duty as I crawled under the covers — because after all, I’m no spring chicken!