First Egg of 2017

There it was, lying in the straw on the coldest day of January! What a surprise for Bob who harvested the lovely blue-green egg. It had been such a long stretch of cold and snow that I didn't think to look in the nest since the hens stopped laying in October. Bob, ever hopeful, found the first one of the new year. Since then we have gathered two more eggs during the bitter cold week of the beginning of January.

What a treat! What faithful chickens! The days may be getting a bit longer, but the cold has stayed cold and colder, but in spite of that our two older hens are busy laying. The three younger ones have not turned out any so far. Let's hear it for experience over youth! Long may they lay!

Most of the snowy days the chickens stay inside of their coop. They do not appreciate the snow but Henny and Penny have begun their job of providing us with fresh, organic eggs.

It's cheers for Henny and Penny during this dreariest of dreary months of the year. Hope springs from the nest of straw in our backyard chicken coop and hope is deeply needed at this time.

Our chickens stick to the path that Bob shoveled for them when they dare to come out into the garden.