Saturday, January 7, 2012

A First Egg

My Henryetta is a late bloomer.  She's the last of my four girls to lay.  In fact, it took her almost 6 months to the day to get good and ready.  For a chicken, that's a bit on the slow side, although we prefer the term delayed.  I let them out yesterday for a little backyard free ranging, and I knew that an egg was brewing because every so often Henryetta would squat, pause, and then, as the mood would pass, she'd be up again and on the prowl for assorted bugs and seeds.  Squat.  Pause.  Forage.  Repeat.  The sun set on her big debut, however, and so it wasn't until this morning that we found a tiny, cold egg in the corner of the coop, and we knew exactly from whom it had come.


First eggs are always small, sometimes even half the size of a regular-sized egg, and often irregular in some way.  We've had misshapen eggs, an egg without a yolk, a double yolker, an egg with a discolored band around it, and other assorted surprises.  However, the eggs will get bigger and more uniform over the course of the next couple of weeks and months until they are all sufficiently large and perfect.  And by perfect, I mean, of course, the way all things homegrown are unique and sublime.  For comparison purposes, here is Henryetta's first egg next to one from another of our chickens who has a bit more practice.


Despite the size difference, I'd say they're both pretty grand.  My very own backyard eggs from my very own backyard chickens.  Who would have ever thought?

4 comments:

  1. Your description of her squatting is hilarious! Congrats on finally having 4 layers! Enjoy those bright sunny fresh yolks!

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  2. I love getting the eggs for the day and, as I am collecting them, realizing that I have been given a JUMBO one. They can be so large that I can't even get the egg carton closed around them. What a big gift from a little chicken!

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  3. Hurray - all your girls are laying eggs.
    I love having fresh eggs and I love my hens
    .....my husband doesn't "love" my chickens, though he thinks their antics are too funny.

    He didn't look very happy as I looked through the catalog from the hatchery and suggested we get some baby chicks this Spring.

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  4. Thanks, Debby! She did not want to be slowed down, but then, the urge would strike....

    I do feel grateful, Heather, they do feel a little like a gift, and from an awfully small bird!

    Shirley, if I had the room, I'd be perusing catalogs, too. I'd love to have a whole big flock of them!

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