Hooray an egg in November?

Well bet you thought I had given up, the weather has been cold and wet, the clocks moved back an hour, and the first couple of days I was getting up at 6.30 to let the girls out, I didn't want them getting upset thinking I had forgotten them.

Last week the rain was so bad that I had to relocate the coop and run. Even though I had made a shelter the was rain turning their space into a bog... The poor things were up to their elbows in mud and I was worrying they may get a problem with their feet, do chickens get trench foot?
Anyway I reluctantly moved them, lock stock and barrel.

The good bit is that they are now closer to the house so the morning dash in my wellies and wooly red dressing gown with the hood is less perilous.

Dan my 16 year old electric guitar playing rock star, who is the self appointed chicken lover in the the house helped me to trim wings on Sunday.
I wasn't going to do it but we had moved them to a concrete slab to stop the mud but it seemed sad they didn't have the grass to scratch around in. So we went on to You Tube and watched a video of someone cutting wing feathers. This is supposed to slow them down and stop them hurdling the 5 foot fence into next doors garden.

We watched it twice then armed with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors off we set to the garden. Dan is great no flustering him, he chatted along to Hilder, we did her first mainly because she is the grumpy one. I very carefully cut the feathers, no blood that was a good sign.
Then it was Doris's turn, she Is happy being picked up and Dan was snuggling into her like she was a kitten, and she was loving it. Once the wings were trimmed they set of on a journey around the garden, and to my surprise when they had seen enough they went back into the run. I know I was shocked too...

Well yesterday they seemed to be unsettled, and both of them sat most of the day in the nesting box. I was sure they were sulking, they knew what I had done to them and they weren't talking to me I was sure.
But...


I had resigned myself and the family to no eggs until January. Hugh from river cottage on his blog had been clear, if you have point of lay in August no eggs till January. Who was I to doubt him?

Well today it happened, an egg, a beautiful perfectly formed, larger than I had expected, pale, cream, egg. It was still warm, I am sure its Hilda's but Rhys will need to check when he gets home to confirm which of the girls has made us proud and made the Whittingstall out a fibber.

Rhys has first dibs so its probably egg and soldiers for him for tea tonight while we all sit looking on wondering when the next egg will come...