An egg a day.....

Nutty Nettie Zook; Olive's backside

The hens, as of yet, have not been earning their keep. Every morning when I open their coop door and they hop out, I remind them...."Lay an egg, Ida." "Olive, please lay an egg." "Cora, it is time." And "Nettie, today is your day." I wait and watch, and then I spend another $3.69 on a dozen eggs at the store.

Last summer for my birthday, my husband installed a video camera in the chicken coop. I can access a live feed via the Internet to see what the hens are up to if they enter the coop. The camera is motion sensitive, so it captures any movement throughout the day.  Last Wednesday, Cora tripped the camera--at 9 am, then 11 am, and then again at 3:17 pm. She entered the coop, proceeded to the nesting box where she fluffed the hay and settled in. But only for a moment. She immediately hopped out of the nest, gave the camera the stink eye, and then strutted out of view.

I was sure she was going to be the first to lay an egg, but there has been nothing...until today.  Well, by golly, Ida was the one who listened to me today. I went out to the chicken yard about 5 to throw them some fresh sweet potato ends and she was nowhere to be found. The others came running, but Ida was not with them. When I peeked into the nesting box, Ida was in the nest.  I retreated to leave her to her business and when I went out again at 6 to check, there was an egg, albeit a yolk apart from the soft, gooey shell.


I figure this egg is worth approximately $893. That is about how much I have invested in their food, their shelter, and other accessories for the chicken yard. The payback period will be a very long time at $3.69 per dozen, but I don't care. I finally gathered my first egg today. Cackle on,sisters!

Cora (L), Ida (M), Nettie's head (R)

.