Dear Farm Journal,

We have our first egg! After about six weeks at Keewaydin, our hens are thriving and the first egg is beautiful. I was a little bit disappointed that I wasn’t the one to discover the first egg, but I was excited all the same. I asked Rufus to take out the chicken scraps since he already had his boots on, and he came back with an egg! I had a feeling that something was brewing this morning as I did the morning chicken chores. One hen was hopping in and out of the laying boxes and doing a lot of clucking around. She would shape up one of the nests, hop out, and move onto the next nest to see if that one suited her better. Of course, after I put the grain down, all of the nest building was put on hold. When I finish the chores, I always hang out and watch them for a little while. It is fascinating to me to see how they interact, to learn their behaviors, and to witness how they communicate and function in their little hierarchy. I’m definitely looking forward to more eggs and being able to get the girls out on the grass this spring.

~Joy