HENS, EGGS, & A TODDLER

I originally published this post on 1.17.12 on my other blog. 


We've been hanging out with these girls quite a bit lately. They belong to our neighbors, who are out of town.

In the afternoon, we let the chickens out to scratch and get some exercise. That bit's easy. Gathering them in at dusk is the tricky part. Try to bring them in too early, and they run and scatter and stubbornly refuse to obey. But let them run around too long after dark, and the local raccoons, foxes and other roaming night-time bullies might gobble them up.

Three have already fallen prey to neighborhood dogs. But we're not naming names.





It's been fun learning a little more about these birds. Having neighbors with hens is pretty much the perfect situation. They generously give us fresh eggs all the time, and in return, we chicken-sit (ba dum bum) once in a while.

And aren't the eggs pretty?! Even Kirk, a lifelong egg-hater, recently started succumbing to their loveliness.



Another item of note in this household: Ingrid is walking. She took her first steps just before her birthday in mid-November, but seemed uninterested afterwards. And then, the day after Christmas, she just took off! I love the way she wobbles around with her arms outstretched.