Remember when I used to do these updates for pregnancy and babies? And now I’m here giving the nitty gritty, but chicken style! Still counting in weeks though, like any new mom. At what point will I begin to say 5 1/2 months? Who’s to know. So, 22 weeks old it is.

Where to start? I actually know exactly where to begin: with the BIG NEWS….

WE GOT OUR FIRST EGG!!!

At 22 (almost 23 weeks), yesterday Hailey found the FIRST EGG! A beauty. Slightly small, brown with some speckling. It was in the right location, too- the nesting box! We are 90% sure who it came from: Rascal, one of our Copper Marans. We all noticed last week that her comb and waddle seemed to suddenly be much larger and brighter red, a sign that eggs are coming soon.

It was a very egg-citing moment that involved some squeals, some jumping up and down, and some big snuggles for the first chicken to pay rent.

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The girls alternate days of “chicken duty,” which means checking their food and water and looking over each chicken to make sure everyone looks good. Things just got a lot more thrilling now that they can add “search for eggs” to the task list.

Last week I did a big coop clean out. David helped with the big bags of sand and hemp. I swept out all the older hemp that was dirty and wheeled it into the woods to compost. I wiped down all the surfaces in the inside of the coop with hot water. I added new hemp bedding. We are going to switch out their 2×2 roosting bars with 2×3 in the next week or two, and try to wrap them in a jute rope to make it more comfortable and prevent bubble foot.

In the run, we raked it well then added chicken sand. It is fantastic! It has no odor and no dust and because the fine uniform size of the sand, which is more like a small grain gravel, it’s easy to clean up/sift. I have more bags on the way to add to it; big fan.

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I enjoy having the chickens as much, if not more, than I anticipated I would. They are fairly low maintenance to care for and even though I’ve been warned not to do so, I love them like little pets. I love how they come running when I walk out there saying heyyyy chickiessss, I think it’s funny that they each have their own personality quirks, and I find it so relaxing to let them out in the late afternoon and watch the scratch and peck the ground, all staying together like a pack.

Last week, the door to their run blew shut while they were out free ranging and we only realized they had been locked out when David went to check on them after sundown. He called me saying he found most of them cuddled together on the back stairs, as close as they could get to their coop (aww), but he was missing one. I didn’t even need to ask for him to describe who was missing; I knew it had to be Heyhey. I wasn’t panicked, knowing Heyhey is Ms. Independent, and sure enough he located her perched on a nesting box cuddles up herself. Funny chickens.

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OK, quick fire facts now that only chicken people will most likely care about, but I’m hoping it’s helpful for the chicken curious.

• Hemp in the coop is the best. There is no odor, it’s high absorbent, low dust, and good insulation.
• Grandpa’s Feeder is worth the upfront price because we waste no feed. The chickens simply stand on the platform when they want to eat, get their fill, and leave the rest well contained and protected.
• They love kitchen scraps. Last night I put my broccoli stems through the shredder and they devoured the broccoli stem “salad” with tiny bits of the ends of bread. Other favorites include parsley, cucumber, apples, and grubblies.
• I added two more cement blocks under their water container to lift it up a little higher. The nipple water system is great! It keeps the water so clean. We fill it up every few days. It has a built in heating element that keeps water from freezing, so I’ll have to look into how to plug that in soon.

If I missed anything, ask away! I have been grateful for more experienced chicken owners sharing their tips (and funny stories) with me as I learn with my own mini flock. What a fun adventure!