Although their wattles and combs have a ways to go yet in terms of size and color before they’re truly mature, I think one of our new hens started laying eggs today. One of them slept in the nesting box last night which struck me as a sign that she was feeling the urge to extrude and egg, although I guess that could have also just been the shy outcast feeling lonely and wanting the comfort of a small, enclosed space. But then Bertie Rooster made his Big Deal today. It’s one of the few nice things he does for the hens, shouting out a hearty and long lasting congratulations when a new hen lays her first egg. Sometimes the whole flock is inspired to crow along and then it’s really impressive. (But not as impressive as the thought of, say, a big flock of pterodactyls doing the same thing.)

But the egg I found is this one.

I’ll give you I’m pretty sure it’s darker than usual for our chickens (which is another reason to think it came from one of the new chickens). I’ll also give you it’s darker than all the other eggs I collected today. But what I won’t give you is it’s chocolate brown which is the color the eggs from this breed are supposed to be.

So it’s exciting (the new hens are (maybe) starting to lay eggs! and, yay! a new color!), but not exciting (where’s my chocolate brown?).

On the other hand, on the inside, an egg is an egg is an egg and what it tastes like is all down to what you’ve been feeding them and our chickens are spoiled pretty rotten in terms of carrot greens, lettuce, grass, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds, so their eggs taste pretty good.