Sunday, September 18, 2005
We were certain it was a boy. But now we know for sure. . . it's a girl! How do we know? Well. . .this morning after we took the boys up to the school for a little bike ride, I took Noah and Denver with me to check on Lucky. Denver ran ahead and returned in a panic because he couldn't find Lucky. We rushed over to the coop and Denver was right, she wasn't there. And she didn't hop out of her nesting box like she usually does. My immediate thought was, Oh no! She's dead. Then Noah said, "I think she's laying an egg." I opened her nesting box and we peered in together and sure enough--there was an egg! Noah ran like lightning to get Daddy and all I could do was stare at the perfect little egg sitting right there in our chicken coop. After watching Lucky for a few minutes I came to the conclusion that she must be in the process of laying another egg. She was staying very still and panting and seemed really uncomfortable. I could tell she was exhausted because she kept falling asleep, but she wouldn't rest her bottom and relax. I could have sat out there all day watching and waiting. But Stake Conference called and I had to hurry if I was going to get a shower. As soon as we got home Hunter and I ran over to her cage to see if we had two eggs and sure enough--we had two. We let Lucky out to play, which she finally seemed happy to do, and gathered up her eggs. Two perfect, little eggs. I just went out to tuck her in for the night and she had already returned herself to the coop. She was sitting on the roof, waiting to be let in. I held her for a minute and then locked her up. She immediately went into her nesting box,laid down and went to sleep.
Now up until today I would have told you that hatching and raising chickens was more trouble than I ever bargained for. First Hero--hatching paralyzed and dying. Then Jack-Jack--hurting his leg and dying, slowly. Wilbur--hatching her and washing her and coccidosis and the wild animal attack, was almost more than I could bear. And finally Lucky--cock-a-doodle-do-ing in our backyard at six in the morning, waking all the neighbors. I was so ready to give in and give up. But today--just those two little eggs has made it all worth it. That chicken loves me. She comes when I call her. She practically purrs when I hold her. She doesn't crow in the morning anymore. And she lays me little tiny eggs. Even tonight, as Denver counted her six piles of poop that she left on our back porch, I thought, "Man, I love this little chicken of mine, right down to her piles of poop." The cycle is complete--now I just have to figure out how to get her to hatch a few of her own chics minus the rooster. Any suggestions?
   
P.S. The two little eggs are Lucky's and the large egg is a store bought egg--just for comparison.
posted by Shana # 7:11 PM 
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