After two days of walking around the coop in a half squat, Barbara has laid her first egg. In fact, the first egg of any chuck in our flock. She was inside an egg herself 21 weeks ago, so that’s not bad going.

Poor thing looked like she’d had stomach cramps since yesterday, and had tried desperately to poop it out in the nesting box where it should have been, but in the end gave up and came back down the ladder into the run where it just kind of fell out on the floor.

It was still warm when I picked it up.

The moment it was out, she couldn’t care less, and she headed off to the feeder for some breakfast. Some mother she would make. Gerry and Margot were intrigued, though. That picture up top is Margot trying to claim it as her own, shortly before I had to reach in with a broom and sweep it towards the door where I could reach it.

Chickens, it seems, don’t like brooms.

Anyhow, that’s the first one out, and I feel like a proud parent. Albeit one with his fingers crossed in the hope this will spur the other two girls into action, too.

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