Gathering Eggs

I love the simple ritual of gathering eggs. If there exists a training tool designed for training chickens, it's plain old, 2 loaves for $1.00 white bread for this flock o' birds. They let out a cheer every time I approach with bread in hand and eagerly throw themselves at the door hoping to grab the first bite.

Learning to slip into my Muck boots prior to entering the run and Fort Seuss greatly decreased the amount of chicken shit that winds up under the table, on the stairs or piled in front of the toilet.
With hat on bald dome, Muck boots on flat feet and my Guinness Bucket in hand, the bread is scattered and bread rugby begins. It's damn exciting to watch!

Today every chicken laid an egg. And many of them in the extra large category. I pluck each egg with amazement and awe. I am grateful. That is truly part of why we should keep things simple. I have no desire to turn this into work. There is work to be done; and it is our responsibly to be good stewards of our charge. I want them happy, healthy and well tended. Gaia Girl often jokes that we are nothing more than Pezz Dispensers to them. (You are joking, aren't you?) But I think that each chicken acts very different from the next. They all have distinct personalities, temperament and behaviors very different from the next guy, er Gal....

Two of my favorites are seen here. Big Fattie on the left and Katie on the right. Big Fattie is a squawker/talker. Sounds more like a jungle than a chicken coop. And Katie talks too...but soothing, friendly and fun to hang with. And she eats dandelion greens like spaghetti. A long gobbling slurp and down it goes: the long way.
The whole crowd seems pleased as I leave with their gifts in tow. Every one a little different from the other. And now we have Wellsumer chicks who will offer us those deep chocolate colored eggs sometime around labor day.

Thirteen one week old chicks are in with their almost one month old three sisters. There is one wee Silver Laced Wyandotte that distinguished herself above all others from the very first day! (G-d, I hope it's not a rooster) She wants to join in with the three big girls and roams the coop run as if she was as big as they. She is a quarter their size! All twelve of the other wee chicks stand at the doorway and watch. Well, a couple do anyway.
So yeah. There you have it. The simple little ritual of changing my shoes, feeding them bread, gathering eggs and enjoying all that they have to offer.
TaoSpring is greeting the day and all there is. And the chickens make it just that much better.