Some Non-Holiday Cheer

Let's admit it: my record with chickens this year hasn't been the greatest. Some time in the gray, depressing days of last winter, I ordered a slew of chicks. It was a ridiculous amount, considering the number of chickens we already had, but I needed something to look forward to. A new batch of Polish, Ameraucanas, Whiting True Blues, and some other odds and ends was exactly what was called for.

The first few Ameraucanas I had several years ago were champs at pushing out blue and green eggs. But fate took those beautiful birds away, and in coming years, any Ameraucanas (or Americanas) I acquired seemed to have lost the genes to produce such colorful eggs. Finally, I discovered the relatively new True Blue breed and was determined to add some color back into my egg production.

Spring and summer were hard on my poor chicks. As Zivah was already raising her 4H chicks in the stable, I was forced to put my young babies out into the aviary with the rest of my flock. Predators got in and wiped out all my new Polish birds and many of the others. On top of that, they didn't get the access to grower feed they should have, as older birds tend to be bullies to youth that aren't their own. My new birds grew at a pathetic rate, and I lost hope of seeing any eggs by them this year.

Today has been a dreary day. I was contemplating life in this world and not feeling too cheerful when I figured I should brave the chilly damp and feed my chickens. After throwing out some feed and getting wrapped up in cleaning a feeder, I almost forgot to check for eggs. There haven't been many lately. Most days I only get two or three. The only consistent hen has been a weird, little silkie cross that puts out a small, creamed-coffee-colored egg. But today...