The First Egg of the Year

My chickens stopped laying at the start of fall. It was expected of Iman, my ornamental Golden Laced Cochin, but unusual for Kimora, my highly productive Barred Rock. Last winter she still pumped out an egg or two a week, but between the heavy molting and the fowl pox, her body was just not up for it this season.

So imagine my surprise this week when I found her sitting patiently and quietly inside her nest, which I hadn’t seen her do in nearly four months…

And that can only mean one thing!

After about 20 minutes — and a very loud and proud announcement of her new “delivery” — I opened the door to find a beautiful brown egg in the nest, still warm and just as solid and smooth as I’d remembered it. (I didn’t dare tell the chickens that we’ve been cheating on them all winter by buying other chickens’ eggs from the store.)

Coincidentally, I’d just been relishing the longer days this past week and enjoying the fact that the sun does not go down at 4:30 in the afternoon anymore. It seems Kimora was on the same wavelength! (And she left us another gift in the nest the next day.)

Now I’m just counting down the days until I catch Iman in the act.