Back in the Saddle Again

Let's quickly catch up. We got our chickens from a farm in Santa Rosa in April 2013. They were only about three months old, small pullets -- bigger than chicks, but not full grown hens. We picked out four different breeds and rode home with them in cat carriers. Around July they started to lay eggs: four breeds, four different colored eggs. All summer and fall, we ate, baked and fried with fresh backyard chicken eggs. It was amazing!

Eggs by Chicken:
Little Miss Rowdy, Lady Matilda, Penny Moon & Sylvia Britches

Fast forward to November and Little Miss Rowdy (formal introductions to come later) decided she wasn't quite in the mood to lay anymore. All of the chickens slowed down egg production due to shorter days and cooler nights, but Rowdy stopped laying eggs altogether. We were worried at first something might be wrong but learned that for some breeds this is normal even if they are less than two years old which is prime egg production age. For close to three months, she visited the nest box only to sleep.

Almost exactly a month after the winter solstice when the days began to get longer, Little Miss Rowdy started laying her blue eggs again. All four chickens have started to lay more often.

Like Rowdy, the Twin Duplex blog is going to get back in the action. A lot has happened since we last posted -- Olive, an engagement, a new couch, fruit trees! Call it a new year's resolution.