Happy Chickens!

Chickens are creatures of habit, I've learned. I've never had chickens to care for before, so I had no idea, but they're very.... persnickity... critters.

They get upset if you change their routine. They get upset if you say.... move the crate they've been laying their eggs in. (see post a few days ago). Yep, I confess... I did it. I cleaned out their crate and set it outside to dry. They quit laying eggs for almost a week to punish me. Andrea was kind enough to move their other laying boxes up off the floor of their stall so they'd have somewhere to lay but they didn't care.

I was convinced they'd just decided to lay them somewhere else, but I looked *everywhere*.... Both barns, all the stalls, up high, down low... nooks, crannies, in the arena. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

I couln't imagine they would lay outside in the trees, but I looked around their haunts over there, too. Zero.

Then two days ago I went out there and voila... the chickens are happy again, there was an egg in the crate in the feed room That night, there were two. One there, one in the box that Andrea made for them. They've since started using their boxes for their eggs, and are happy chickens once again, which means that I, too, am a happy camper. I've missed my eggs! It's always a little bit like christmas every day to go out and find one, or two, or today there were three, eggs waiting for me!

Thanks girls!