We have an egg! Yesterday after a particularly tiring day at work I came home, parked my bike in the garage and walked into the backyard to say hi to the chickens as I normally do. It was about 20 minute before dark. Since I wasn't sure what time I would be arriving home, I had left them in their coop/small run for the day...that way if I came home after dark they would be in a predator-proof space. The clucked happily when they saw me. I opened our egg door on the coop and noticed right away that the bedding in the nest box had been moved all around. This had never happened before. I had added the nest box a few weeks ago just in case the girls might start laying early, but I wasn't really sure if they would use it or not. Supposedly you can place fake eggs (plastic, or just golf balls) in the nest box to teach the gals where to lay.....but I didn't have a fake egg.

Well, I looked closer and there it was: a beautiful light brown egg, right in the nest box! I did a double take, because even though I knew it could happen any day I wasn't really expecting it. I'm pretty sure it was laid by Penny, our Rhode Island Red, because she has the reddist combs (which I've read is a sign that they are about the lay), is the largest, and seems the most mature. I am so proud of her! Not only do I have a wonderful first egg, but she laid it in the perfect spot.

Now I just need to figure out how to eat it. I've been informed that soft-boiled eggs are really good...I've never had one. I think I'll wait a few days and see if we get another egg or two, that way Paul and I can share this new experience together. Neither of us has ever had a fresh egg! And this is even more special because it was produced by our very own birds in our backyard. I love those chickens (but yes people, I am still planning on eating them someday).

I've been treating them by letting them out to roam even more (I guess you could say that they're semi-freerange), and feeding them their new favorite treat: stale cheerios.