A Hen House Miracle!

Last night while getting ready for bed I was thinking, rather debating in my mind, whether hens could be sterile (yes, this was really last night, no joke). Is it possible that our three little hens could NEVER lay eggs and just live their lives as our little poultry pets? I mean, what do I know about my three backyard hens? Let's see... they're sweet, they have feathered feet, they're quiet, low maintenance, I found them on Craigslist, I know Brahma hens are said to be... errrr, "late bloomers," but seriously, 10 months and still no eggs! Is it possible the farmer sold me barren pullets? I was told earlier this month by a fellow, chicken-owning colleague that I would probably have to wait for eggs until spring. Since the days are shorter in the winter, they probably won't lay until March or April. So with that idea, and knowing she knows a lot more about raising backyard hens than I do... I went to bed somewhat indifferent.

This morning, after running some errands in town with Big D (Duncan, our dog), I went down to feed and check on the girls. I opened their run door to let them out and play, then opened the hutch door... when "lo and behold," there was a nice brown egg in their nesting box! I immediately dropped what I had was holding and ran to the house to grab my camera. It was such a surprise. FINALLY! I first called my grandma and grandpa (who helped me make the chicken coop, and had been asking about the first egg for months...), then called my mom and dad to share the good news! It just so happened my aunt and cousins were hanging out at the house with my folks, so everyone got to hear the surprise right away. I took a picture and texted my husband at work. Wow, talk about an adrenaline rush! I am excited to go to bed tonight, just to wake up and check for more eggs in the morning!



We began raising our small backyard flock because we wanted to know where our food comes from. We wanted to know these hens were treated with love and respect, not raised in a factory farm, never seeing the light of day. But these hens became more to us than just egg producers, they are in fact part of our diverse little family. We love them eggs or no eggs. We think of these small oval shaped presents as just that... little daily "thank you" surprises.