Eggs and Golf Balls

When the chickens were little, we waited with anticipation for them to start laying eggs.    Tom built them a set of nest boxes.

As they matured and began to develop their combs and wattles, we thought surely it would not be much longer.   It seemed like it was taking forever!   I even picked each chicken up and put it in one of the nest box compartments to show them they were supposed to use the boxes.  This only seemed to alarm them and they made as hasty an escape as possible.

Tom read somewhere that if you put a golf ball in the nest, then the chickens would get the idea of what they were supposed to do.  As luck would have it, we had an old golf ball that we put in one of the nest box compartments.  Still seemed like it took a long time, but finally we found our first egg.

http://windyacresnaturalfarm.blogspot.com/2012/07/our-first-egg.html

I can't remember if this egg was in the compartment with the golf ball or not.  However, as the chickens have begun to lay regularly, it appears that a majority of the time, they do lay their eggs in the compartment that contains the golf ball.

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have fresh eggs from chickens that have not been raised in an industrial setting.  Our chickens get plenty of fresh air, sunshine, fresh greens from our garden and whatever insects they catch.  And, their eggs show it.  The yolks are dark yellow and luscious.