Greensboro Birds

Today was a day of two firsts, the second being Skula laying her first egg! Skula’s a barred rock, so she lays brown eggs. This one is on the small side—just over an ounce—which is typical of a pullet’s first few eggs. (Lunch is an overachiever—from Egg One, her eggs have been a consistent two ounces.) Skula’s egg is perfectly formed, totally smooth and no schmutzy stuff (you chicken people know what I mean). Josh gets to be in this First Egg photo. (We try to be all gracious and take turns getting the eggs, but I think deep down we’d rather get them all ourselves. He’ll say I’m using the royal we here. I might be.)

My prediction for Skula’s first egg was a little off. She squatted for the first time on February 28, and other barred rock owners have said, “One week from first squat,” so I figured next weekendish. Her second squat was yesterday, and at 8:30 this morning she squatted for me again. (I maintain an Excel spreadsheet of the ladies’ milestones and egg laying, in case you’re wondering.) Shortly after this a.m.’s squat, at 10:30, Skula went into the nestbox. She came out once, then went back in. Tootie sat next to her on the roost like a good friend. I checked on her at 11:45 and found her standing over this little brown egg and arranging bits of straw around her. To keep her from getting any notions of egg-eating, I reached in and grabbed the egg. Skula, clearly not bugged by me eggnapping her firstborn, then made her way down the ramp and into the yard to eat snow and grass with Lunch. (That’s Lunch up there, showing us her best side.)

A two-egg day! Two down, one pullet to go. I predict Tootie will wait until May, because her comb hasn’t developed or reddened much yet.

So, wait, that makes a day of three firsts: Skula’s first egg, our first two-egg day… and the other thing that I’ll post about tomorrow.