Last Thursday was pretty much like any other. I toiled through the busy commute from Bellevue to South Seattle, making it home just in time to watch the sun disappear over the horizon. I backed my car in, unloaded my bag, hung up my jacket and greeted my dog Astor. After unloading my keys, phone and wallet on the dining room table, I wandered outside the back door to say hi to the girls and check for eggs.

I was greeted with a surprise – a tiny, robin-egg-blue-hued pullet egg laid by one of our new girls, Turmeric. In comparison to the other three eggs I collected, the size was laughable. But at just shy of 4 months old, Turmeric is an early bloomer and roughly only half the size of the older girls.

Though 3 months and 3 weeks old is rather early to start laying eggs, it’s not unheard of. Nor was it a complete surprise to find a blue egg nestled amongst the other gals eggs, as about 2 weeks ago Turmeric started to do the “squat”.  Now that surprised me.

Todd and I have been making it a point to handle the new girls – to make sure they too are friendly, and one day Todd told me when I got home that she did it. She squatted. No. way. I thought. So I went out to the run, chased Turmeric around a bit, and when I finally caught her I gently put her down on the ground, stroking her back. Sure enough, she immediately squatted. Well look at that!

Speaking of the new girls. I’m starting to wonder if I should have named Ginger Mr. Ginger instead. While Turmeric is already laying her first eggs, Ginger is starting more and more to look like a Roo. But more on this development later.

For now, Ginger is not disturbing the neighbors and Turmeric is laying one, tiny blue egg a day. Oh the joys of chicken keeping!