Rose the Chicken

Rose started out as everyone's favorite because she was only a day old when we got her and her cute factor was off the charts compared to the other chicks at two weeks old. As they all grew, however, her popularity waned and even plummeted recently when she started vigorously pecking anyone who got near her. Well, now she's staged a major comeback and is a favorite again since she started laying.

Yep, you read right, she's laid an egg. I've been wondering when our chickens would get around to laying. They are weeks behind schedule. The morning it happened (last Tuesday), I was feeling for Rose. I was out back racewalking around our little track and there was obviously something going on. She'd eat a little bit, then make these low clucking sounds while she sat on the ground and tried to get comfortable. She tried all kinds of different parts of the chicken run looking for a spot she liked. She even tried to climb the coop to sit on top of it. I'm glad she didn't get all the up to lay her first egg on the peak of our A-frame chicken coop. Somehow that seems like it would have been a messy disaster.

Finally, I had the presence of mind to bring the nesting box we bought out and put it near the coop. She went right in and tried anew to get comfortable, but finally settled for laying the egg just inside the coop door. I guess there is no place like home.

It really was exciting to see the miracle of our chickens' first egg. I appreciate omelettes more than ever. Here it is, all cleaned up and beautiful.


Late breaking update - Rose has laid two more eggs since Tuesday and likes the nesting box. Hopefully the others will follow her eggs-cellent (Oooo - that was rotten!) example and we will get some green eggs to blog about!