Unexpected Daisies: An Eggstra Special Blog Post

I let the chickens into the garden to play yesterday.

As usual, they rushed out of the coop in a flutter of spread wings and excited squawks!

After checking the progress of the cucumber and tomato plants I realized that only 3 of the girls had come into the garden to play. Jade was mysteriously absent.

I called out, "Here chickie chickie" and she quickly peaked her head out of the coop house. She was reluctant, but finally made her way into the garden with the other girls. (and by girls I mean chickens. You knew that, right?)

I made a beeline to check the nesting boxes! I thought...this is it! She must have laid her first egg, that's why she was late into the garden.

No such luck. The nesting box was empty. -sigh-

I went about my other chores.

Minutes later however, Jade returned to the coop house, went directly into a nesting box, and began scratching and shifting around. I knew this was it! It had to be! No chicken in her right mind would hide away in a nesting box when she could be out playing in the garden! Right??

I rallied the family. We all stood outside the nesting box waiting. That's totally normal, right?

We waited 25 minutes quietly cheering Jade on! Go Jade! Go Jade! Push it out! Push it out! Waaaay out! Every family that raises chickens does this, right?

Anyway...

25 minutes later Jade emerged from the nesting box. We gave a cheer, opened the box...

NOTHING!

-double sigh-

It was a bit of a let down. Oh well, soon, right?

Later in the evening the kids went out to the coop to check on the girls. You know I went running when they yelled, "We have an egg!"

I was so excited!

I expected to look into the nesting box and see egg laying perfection, the sight of a beautiful brown egg, gently deposited on soft pine shavings.