We Have a Winner!

I was going to wait until my scheduled posting time this weekend to share this, but I am too excited.

We have a winner in the Great Egg Wait.

Cookie laid her first egg this morning, and I was there to watch!

I guess this answers the question of if she is a roo, as I witnessed the event in person.

I had wondered what was going on this morning when I went to let them out for yard time. They were all singing the egg song and complaining LOUDLY, for THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD to hear. Cookie and Doodle were both jockeying for the nest box. They took turns going in and scratching and sitting. Cookie was especially desperate. She would run around, proclaiming her discomfort in the most noisy terms.

I really thought Doodle was going to do it. In the end, though, I let Jewel out of the coop, as she was just being loud and distracting. She showed no interest in being in the nest box, just crowing her solidarity to the cause. Doodle toddled after Jewel into the yard, and did her bug hunting. No longer looking for a place to squat. No eggs, yet.

Then it got quiet.

Cookie was the only one not to leave. She stayed in the nest box, shifting around and covering herself in wood shavings. Then she got real still.

Now I want to say I got video of the great event. I just knew something was about to happen any minute.  I had gotten some video of the girls singing, and a bit of the musical nest box number,  but two minutes before it started really going down, my phone’s battery dies.

Gah, of all the nights to forget to put it on the charger!

After sitting quietly for another minute,  Jewel started to get all bunched up. She stood up, straining a second, then PLUNK!, out came a pink egg!

It was so great to be there for the first lay!

Cookie rolled it under herself, and sat on it. She seemed to know what this was all about. She continued to cover herself in wood shavings until I took the egg.

It is not what I expected, actually.  I had read first eggs were sometimes oddly shaped, rubbery or rough, and usually tiny. This pink shelled egg is medium sized with perfect shell outside. I haven’t cracked it yet to see the inside. I am saving that for when my husband gets home from work. He had to put up with the flurry of frantic texts this morning from me. I was very excited. He should at least get to share in the egg reveal.

Congratulations Cookie on your first egg! It’s been a long wait, but worth it. You are my top hen, and first into everything. It makes sense you would be the first to lay and show the girls how it’s done! I am so proud of my fluffy girl!

We are also, really, really glad you are not a roo.

Posted from WordPress for Android