To begin, there is the first time you hear a real, authentic "clucking" sound. Not the cute little peeping purring cooing sounds the chicken makes when wandering about, but a real cluck. The sound was not just surprising for us but seemingly for the chicken as well.
Then there is the squatting and confusion of where to be.(The chickens, by the way, were squatting and confused. Not me. Well, I was a bit confused...) Once the ladies begin to squat when approached you know they are maturing and eggs will be on their agenda. I like to call it "pancaking".
In 2012, at 21 weeks our Buff Orpingtons produced their first cluck. At week 23, the squat, aka pancake. And then the EGG. At our coop, the chicken clearly came BEFORE the egg.
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| Alma and Elsie April 2013 |
Lets fast forward to 2013...where we are today...and our New waiting game. In April we brought home two adorable Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chicks. It is now November and week 32. Scarcely have we heard a cluck (and it came during distress) and not one remote sign of a squat.
These little ladies are hold outs. Maybe they know we have a workshop in three weeks and they want to wait and show off. Maybe they think the other ladies have it under control. All I know is we are back to the waiting game...
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| Elsie & Alma today |
