$800 egg

Our hens, rather a hen, has started laying eggs.

Bayli got the privilege of enjoying the first egg (well, really not the first-that one came from above while the hens were roosting and ended in a big mess on the floor of the coop.  *Can you imagine how a hen feels when they lay their first egg, I mean no one has told them what will happen.  It just happens.  I am sure they become filled with a bit of panic that first time.  Then their instincts kick in (hopefully) and they become a natural egg layer in no time.

Anyways, back to that first egg that Bayli enjoyed.  She was super stoked and said that it was the best egg ever.  Of course, being Bayli, she packed it around in a basket full of dolly blankets and it was as though we were killing her when Jed finally pried the egg out of her clutches and cooked it up.  As much as I love that girl, I do not want the risks that can come from a raw egg being packed around for days.

Not to mention, that was the most expensive egg that we have ever purchased.  Having chickens isn't very economical.  Sure you get benefits from them,  but it is not cost effective at all.  We could purchase a lot of eggs for the price that it took to build the coop, not to mention purchase the chicken feed.  But as Jed says, it is enjoyable to have them around.

They are seriously our entertainment committee every evening when Jed gets home.  This being because Jed and Bayli are on a quest to capture the rooster.  Jed has succeeded many times in this quest, but sadly, Bayli has not.
Our rooster is pretty friendly and fearless.  He doesn't budge much when you walk up to him.  But Bayli is a bit timid and he can sense it.  Also, the rooster has come after her a few times.  Leaving her with a few scratches.  She probably deserves it though, since she harasses that poor bird so much.

Always so beautiful, even when rooster chasing.

Chase even gets in a bit on the rooster chasing fun.  He, unlike Bayli, has no fear of the rooster.  Probably because he hasn't been attacked by him yet.  And overall he doesn't have as much interest in chasing chickens as Bayli does.  He prefers to lasso them.

But in the end, they ask dad to help them.  Because he is a master rooster catcher.  I wouldn't categorize him as a master chicken catcher yet, the hens are a bit more flighty than the rooster.  Jed is still training like Rocky Balboa to become faster.

This is how many attempts often play out.

Despite the look that he just might take a bite out of him, Jed LOVES his bird. 

Once they have a hold of him, the rooster pretty much plays dead.

Bayli attempting to hold him by the feet.  She prefers to cradle him in her arms.

Proud of the catch, still even prettier.

BTW  this is our birds favorite place to hang these days.  Which is a pain in the butt when it is time to round them up into the coop.  Nothing like corn pollen covering you entirely. 

***Thanks Jed for the wonderful anniversary gift.  Without it, our memories of these events would be just a blur. (He got me a Canon EOS Rebel T2i-LOVE IT!!!)