Eggs!! At the tender age of nineteen weeks, one (or more) of my copper marans has produced two beautiful milk-chocolate colored eggs. I've been noticing that someone was in the nest boxes as evidenced by the rearranged hay, but I was surprised and delighted on Wednesday when I found the first egg - not in the nest, but there's no points off here. It's like becoming a chicken grandmother - I had very little to do with it, but I'm willing to bask in the glow.
In any case, the chickens continue to engage me in unexpected ways. They "talk" when they are in the run, and when they see me coming they rush the doorway to see what I've brought for them - they LOVE treats - vegetable scraps, yogurt, cracked corn. At night when I close them in, they've already put themselves to bed, and they make some kind of sleepy noise - almost cooing - that's very relaxing. I am still perplexed by my seeming seduction by chickens. I certainly didn't think adding a responsibility to my life was something desirable, but it has turned out to be a very pleasurable "hobby". They don't need to be walked, they don't leave hair around the house, and they don't make anyone sneeze or complain about dander. And they give eggs. Beautiful, deep brown eggs.
