Girls, Don't Fail Me Now

Golden gifts--one short

I'd promised eggs as a gift.  My husband wanted omelet for breakfast which would leave us with only four.  I assured him that we would have the six eggs we needed for giving by the end of the day.  He could take his three, and all would come out just fine.  I'm a gambler and Things I get to do today will be betting on the girls' ability to put out the goods.

Nina, the pinch-hitter

We're off before dawn cracks tomorrow morning to visit family and friends in Southern California for two weeks.  Fresh loved-hens' eggs are a treat in any situation, but for friends far from the farm, these are like gold.

Nina delivers!

Just as the breakfast dishes hit the dishwasher, Katy Perry Chicken set to cackling.  Ten minutes or more of her ratcheting tune was nearly enough for me. Inspection found Lena Horne Hen on the nest and Katy dancing noisily about.  She finally settled in to leave her egg.  Nest check an hour later yielded one from Katy and a puddle with shells from Lena.  The very heavy hen must have gotten fidgety with all of Katy's racket.  Still needing one whole egg!

Finally full

What we need now is a pinch hitter.  It was Nina Simone to the rescue.  After three trips up and down the ramp to the nest boxes, she headed in,  sure the egg was on its way.  Good job, and thank you, Sweet Nina!

Heat Crazy

While setting the sprinkler (hen AC), I nearly
planted my foot on this very unexpected egg!

Maybe it was because I carelessly "locked" the hens out from the nests one long day.  Or maybe they just decided to do the REAL Free Range Eggs thing.  Or perhaps they were inspired by the cute little Song Sparrow nest from last week's blog.  Or the heat has made us all a little daffy.

Things I get to do today, everyday this past week, have me providing extra measures to cool my hot hens.  I set sprinklers about in their yard to wet the ground.  Damp earth is cool earth.

Egg to the right (hard to see) about three feet from the clutch of eggs
 down in a hollow under these branches pruned from the Sequoia tree.
Such a perfect, cute, sheltered little nest! Felt guilty taking the eggs away.

I thought they were just sitting in the shade, panting.  But these girls are full of surprises. Everyday is an adventure.  And I think the heat has made them or me or both a little crazy.

Clean-Out-the-Crisper, Full-Circle Salad

Tired mushrooms, softening pepper, yellow carrots and
 half a beet found this spring over-wintered in the garden,
broccoli stalks, arugula gleaned  when one of the garden beds
was cleaned up  and fresh eggs from the girls.   Left over chicken (not shown)

I'm not a cook.  But I do cook. Most of the time it's fun.  And it's always part of the Things I get to do today, so I look for ways to be creative--most of the time. Sometimes I just look for ways to get my husband and myself fed. Not to be overlooked are those moments when the great cycles of life all converge:  "no food" in the house, meal time, fridge needs cleaning out.  Ever happen at your house?

Full-Meal Deal

This galactic converging slammed into my kitchen the other night.  We had Clean-Out-the-Crisper, Full-Circle Salad.  You immediately get emptying the fridge drawer onto the kitchen counter.  The salad also included bits of chicken and hard-boiled eggs. Not knowing which came first, I included the full circle.

Egg Train

Nina and Nora waiting for the egg train

Nina wasn't moving fast enough.  By the time I got my camera to document the commotion, Latifah had jumped from the floor, crowded past Nina, and headed straight in to the nest.  My picture noted that Nina was first in line at the cozy door (she's the black hen), but now Noisy Nora was on the train as well.

Noisy Nora

As regional hen manager, my Things I get to do today include developing a queueing process for egg ladies on urgent business.







Noisy Nora* (aka Nora Jones Chicken) has plenty of advice for me.  Her strident comments start first thing in the morning, before reasonable chicken keepers are yet out of bed, and continue throughout the day, depending on how much she "needs" my attention.  All previous Nora chickens (there have been four Nora's so far) have had gentle, sweet voices like their name sake.  But this hen has been taking lessons from a fish-wife.  I just wish I could make out what she is shouting about.

Katy waiting her turn in the egg train

And now, moments later,  the queue includes Katy Perry Chicken as well. There's a method to their chicken logic.   Regardless of all the cackling, squawks, and chatter, they are figuring it all out and laying eggs everyday without my help.

Katy--not waiting any longer
"Here I come whether you're off the nest or not.
 Just pull in your big ego.  I'll use the box next to you."

Just grab you ticket, take a number, get in line for the nest box and pray that Queen Latifah Hen is not holding court when the egg comes irreversibly down the track.











*Noisy Nora is the title of a children's book about a "middle-child" mouse whose parents are busy with older sister and younger brother.  Nora demands attention in her own way.  Rosemary Wells is the brilliant author and illustrator.

Roll Call

Today's the day.  Yup.  All the girls have checked in.  Now I'm thinking back to very early winter when none of the girls was laying.  I remember taking in the first one, and then learning how to count all the way to two.  Surely, keeping track of the hens laying records as they were first figuring it all out would make a terrific two-year-old's project:  if you can hold up two fingers, you've got the egg counting thing covered.

Katie, Lena, Nina, Latifah and Nora laying it on the line

But now, now, it takes me both hands, full to overflowing on some days, to bring in their gifts as one of the Things I get to do today.   




"Katie Perry Chicken, thank you, dear. Such a rich shade of tan."

"Miss Nina Simone Chicken, got your work done early today as usual, I see.  Thanks so much.

"Nora Jones Hen, I do say, such a big handsome egg you lay, lovely, just lovely."

"And Queen Latifah Chicken, what do we have here in the nest? Thank you for remembering where to put it this time."

"And my darling, shy, Lena Horne Hen, such a delicate, warm egg you just laid. Thank you, sweet shy one."

That Easter Bunny!

The Easter Bunny has gone wild here.  She (Queen Latifah Chicken) has laid her eggs (or they just fell out when she wasn't paying attention) under the rooster, in the coop, in the corner treat boxes in the coop, by the feed barrel, under the tree, under the Chicken Buffet, in the hen yard, and on the grass.  She has high points for receiving the most comments about her egg laying habits.  But this is way over the top.

Extreme nesting.  

It's a wet day here in Oregon, gray, windy, with steady rain, sudden gusts, and  brief torrents.  I needed my work rain parka for all of the outside  Things I get to do today.  As I slung it round my shoulders and slid my arms into the sleeves, I noticed a heavy lump in the left chest pocket.  My hand revealed the truth--an egg.  It must have been that Easter Bunny.  She's the only one who ever drops her eggs outside the nest.



I'd better have a chat with her.  First thing you know she'll be laying them in my back pants pocket.  If I can't get her to understand, at least I'd better remember to check my pockets when I come in from the coop.