I Spy With My Little Eye.....

CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK!!!

Finally the sun is shining and no more 3 inches of rain are in the forecast! The poor cluckies looked a little worse for wear there for a few days. Everyone was wet and muddy and looked like they might try and grow webbing between their toes. That didn't stop egg production and we are still going full force, though we suspect there are eggs out there somewhere just waiting to be found. Dan braved the dark and cold this evening hunting for eggs around the now empty rental house next door. He didn't find anything, so in other terms, the hunt is still on!

Speaking of which, since July egg hunting has become a part of normal life here on the Shawhan farm. Thankfully we don't have to hunt as hard as we did before (mostly) everyone started using the nest box, but we still consider it normal routine to look in some familiar hiding places.

I decided to post about this subject because of the discovery Dan made last night. It was after dark and we were in the barn tucking all the chickies in for the night and giving poor Jimmy his shots in the rump. I had a pocketful of needles and was praying I didn't get kicked. Dan was standing outside the stall holding Jimmy's head when he exclaimed, "Hurry up and get it before it breaks!" I had no idea what he was talking about since I was in vet mode. I was pretty sure none of the shots had fallen from my pockets. I didn't think he would act that way over a thermometer on the ground and in danger of being smashed if stepped on. Like any frantic, caring parent, Dan was hopelessly pointing to the ground while not letting go of my horse. And then I saw it. A delicate, lonely egg that looked severely misplaced out in the open of a horse stall. It was also only inches away from the dinner plate sized hooves of Jimmy. Any weight shifting could have smashed a perfectly good egg. (Anyone who knows me knows that egg dropping/smashing is a sin.) One thought crossed my mind.... "SCREW THE SHOTS! SAVE THE EGG!"  After rescuing the unscathed orphan, I shook my head and thought about all the crazy places we have found eggs over the past 5 months, though honestly I feel as if this one takes the cake....so far.

Egg discoveries had been made at/in the following:
* The first egg ever was discovered behind the snow shovel in the garage.
* On top of the work table in the garage/barn where we park the trucks.
* In the feed trough they roost on at night, yes lying in all the poo (OPPS!)
* In a 5-gal. bucket.
*In the hay bale for the steers.
*In the driveway.
*In between the scrap metal pile and garage/barn where we park the trucks.
*In Jimmy's stall...with Jimmy in it!
*The room in the barn that is below the low loft.
*In a cut off plastic drum we use to throw away baling twine A.K.A. the trash barrel.
*Outside the coop door.

Happy hunting to me and the hubby!

                                                                    ....cluck,cluck, cluck, cluck......