A First Egg

Day 235 of 365

Yesterday, I saw one of the Salmon Faverolles in a nest box, and I got so excited! I have been waiting and waiting to see what their eggs would look like. Their eggs are supposed to be a light, creamy color. For last couple of weeks, I have noticed the nest boxes were wrecked, and this is always a sign that someone is about to start laying.

I was hopeful for a Salmon Faverolle, as they are the oldest of our summer babies, but last night, even after I saw her in the nest box, there was no egg.

This morning I was outside doing a safety check of the chicken yard when I heard an awful lot of talking and carrying on from the coop. It was a different kind of talking from a voice I didn’t recognize.

When I went to the coop door, I saw one of the Salmon Faverolles at the water dish. She was drinking and carrying on about something, just talking, almost complaining but not quite. It was more like “Can you believe I just did that?” Truly, she seemed tired and a little concerned and a little relieved all at once. I didn’t have the heart to tell her she was going to be laying an egg several times a week for the next few years.

Of course, there, in the nest box, like a golden egg to me, was a tiny creamy egg, so perfect. I thanked her over and over. She just kept carrying on. When I left the coop, she was still drinking and talking. I guess she had been in the nest box a long time and got thirsty. What work!

Oh my gosh, I am thankful to chickens. How humans do not worship the ground their little feet walk on is beyond me. What a gift! What a beautiful egg!