Holy egg, Batman!

Martin checked for eggs yesterday. He found one in the first nesting box. Then he checked the second one and said, "Oh! There are two in here."

It is super exciting every time a new chicken lays an egg. So, I rushed over to look in. This is the third egg... What?!?

I am wondering if one of my other variety started laying. The other eggs have come from two of my Black Stars. Maybe this is from a Buff.  But no matter who laid it, that is a HUGE egg for a first egg. 

Here is a comparison to a store bought white large egg. Crazy! 

Weekend recap: Fire trucks, bibs, and a new egg

Today was open house at the fire station. He was a bit excited to go! Thanks to my Mom for taking us so that Jared could work on the bunk bed in peace (which he finished today - pictures once the matters arrives next week). The tour of the fire station was super cool (and was air conditioned) and the boys adore climbing all over trucks. I love being the mom of boys. 

10 bibs and 2 burb clothes. Quilted. Washed. Ready for future showers.

See the egg on the front right? Our biggest chicken started laying eggs today. Her egg is way bigger than the other chicken that has given us 15 eggs so far. Also, note how from one chicken we have gotten lots of shades of brown eggs. So weird. 

 

Chickens and Mystery

Spot all five chickens. 

Hint. The three black stars always hang out in a group. Spot one and you see them all. 

They are eating something out of the rain spout. Apparently, there are a lot of Bugs around our house. They have spent most of the last two days eating things right outside the door. 

Jared had a haircut after work tonight and so we had pancakes and eggs for dinner. Martin told me that we had to try the brown eggs to make sure they were good. So, the boys had the first half dozen of eggs, scrambled with cheese. 

We are still only getting one egg a day (come on other four chickens!!), but it is super exciting to find the egg each day. Martin loves it.  And as much as I would like to be the one that goes out and gets the eggs, I am letting him because he takes such joy and pride in picking it up and carrying it inside. 

It is the same feeling as when bread rises or yogurt ferments or you pick produce from your own garden. There is something magical and mysterious about it. It doesn't get old. It is a marvel. Ask Jared, I still get excited every time my bread rises. :) 

I guess it is a good reminder to be amazed and awestruck at the provision and wonder of God. He has provided so much for us and in incredible ways. We lose sight of that while grocery shopping. An egg is just an egg. It seems so much crazier that a chicken lays an egg almost every day to provide for you. It is unbelievable. It is crazy. 

It seems as if you were trusting God to make a chicken lay eggs and a cow make milk and grain to grow in your fields, you'd appreciate the verse about God always providing for the birds and clothing the flowers. Why worry? He just made a chicken lay an egg!! What! That is crazy. An egg that can be used to make bread more delicious and sweet cakes and that you can whip into meringue. The God who can do that can also provide everything else you need. His provision is beyond imagination. He is  all powerful and wonderful. Be in awe of His mighty works. 

Praise God for chickens and eggs and the simple lesson to trust Him more. 

We spend a lot if time watching the chickens eat and walk around the yard. It is way more interesting then you'd think. 

...That is until they eat your thyme and hostas and you have to chase them away. 

First Egg!!!

I found the first egg this morning!! 

Here is a comparison with a large white store-bought egg.  They get bigger as the chickens mature.  

So exciting!! 

Now we just need to convince the other four to start laying. Jared and I have bets that Runt won't be laying eggs for at least another ten weeks. She is so far behind developmentally. But a few of the others look like they are getting close...

Surrounded by boys...

Even when we were 90% guaranteed that my three yellow chickens were female, we still ended up with a rooster. Poor Roo. He will be "retired" to a friend's farm (probably to be a bowl of soup in the future). We were holding out hope he might be a she, but he started crowing this morning, loudly.  

He hasn't been sent off yet. So, the female to male count in our house is 6 to 5. Once Roo (in the front of the picture) leaves for his new home, we'll be down to 6 to 4. 

Other than the rooster, only the runt has a name so far (known as Runt or Fuzzhead because she still has downy feathers and is smaller than the rest).  I don't know if we'll name any of the rest unless they do something to make them standout. 

Jared finished the chicken coop this week. I got to drill a bunch of boards and screw them in (that makes for a happy engineer). It is the first time I have felt well enough in the last five weeks to help out. The birds were happy to be allowed outside. They are so entertaining. It makes me smile to look out my kitchen window and see them running around their pen. 

Chicken update and Brain Attics

I forgot to take a picture today while it was daylight. However, I wanted to mention how entertaining these chickens are. I go out to change their water or give them more food and I end up watching them run around for 5-10 minutes. They are also becoming more friendly and will perch on your hand if they are in the right mood. After three weeks, I am still a big fan. :) 

Also, the coop has a door made. All the other supplies have been purchased and some cut. Jared worked all day in the rain on it for me. This can count as my Christmas and birthday gift for several years. 

And lastly, a Random Sherlock Holmes quote that my sister and I were discussing and I just wanted an excuse to include it in a post. I find it somewhat useful when considering which facts to remember and which not to bother thinking about: 

I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that this little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it, there comes a time when for any addition of knowledge, you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones. 

A Study in Scarlet

These chickens...

Half fluff and half feathers is a bad look for anyone. I can't believe they grow so fast. Today is their two week birthday. 

They try to hide from me behind their waterer. 

Look, I got a group shot. 

Grow, chickens! Grow!

In only a week they have almost doubled in size. They are also starting to get ugly feathers that are popping out of their fuzz. 

I spend most of my time cleaning out the wood shavings from their waterer and feed dish. Silly birds. They love to practice scratching. I can't wait until they eat bugs in my backyard! 

They have started practicing flying and they jump on the waterer quite often. Sometimes two of them jump up and push each other around.  

And they eat all the time, which I guess is why they are growing so much. We bought them a 50lb bag of feed today.  It is supposed to last until they are almost ready to lay eggs...in another 18 weeks. :) 

It has been such beautiful weather this week. I spent the afternoon edging some of the flower beds and trees, after I replaced the wheelbarrow's wheel, which I broke on Thursday trying to clean out some of the flowerbeds. 

And I've been trying to finish a Charles Dickens book, Martin Cuzzlewitt. I finally finished last night! That makes my 12th book of the year. I need to update my book list. 

So, those are my excuses for not having a post up yesterday. 

Chickens

Look who is here! 

The chickens are coming!!

I went around the front to pick up the mail and when I came back I found this. It was a gorgeous day to spend outside and burn extra energy. 

He probably worried about being replaced by our latest additions. We are finally getting chickens. I am so excited!  We (Jared) is working on building the coop this weekend and next. He has some extra time since they just live in a plastic tub for the first few weeks. I can't wait to for my first eggs ... In about 20-30 weeks...