“Ok Swiffer……..I’m gonna’ do the right thing,…….take the higher road………and say……………I’m sorry! I’m sorry for all the times I cursed your name, for all the times that I labeled you as the trouble making hen in my small flock of three……………but most of all……..I’m sorry for making fun of those Ping -Pong ball size eggs that you laid for almost 3 years.
But…come on….you got to cut me a bit of slack……..It’s not like you were the picture of innocence. Wasn’t it you who would start squawking the ‘egg-song’ at 5am on those summer mornings? Wasn’t it you who splattered that soft shell egg all over endearing daughter’s leg as we drove back from the cottage in a van packed to the gills?
Damn straight it was you! And……as for those Ping-Pong size eggs that looked more like they came from a quail than a chicken……………. I say…………. THANK YOU! As it stands, you’re my only girl who continues to lay after 3 years of age. I don’t even care that you now take some pretty long breaks between your streaks. It’s just nice to go into the coop from time to time and find one of those Ping-Pong size eggs sitting all by itself in the nest box. Way to go girl. You’ve now been given the role as the designated hitter at City Boy Hens………..Congratulations!
City Boy Hens 
Well, that was different. Poor biddy! Still (somewhat) faithful in her old age.
Hmmm. Funny this post came along when it did. I’ve had three production hens for just a little over a year, saved from being culled out at one year by the organic chicken farmer who wants perfect eggs for selling. For about six months, I got a beautiful egg almost every day from two of the hens (one has never laid an egg for me and most recently I found out she has a baseball sized tumor). Anyways, last November, one of the laying hens started having soft shell eggs, no shell eggs and broken eggs. She seemed to snap out of that, but then this February and again in April she had egg yolk peritonitis requiring antibiotics. I thought she was a goner the second time, but she rebounded after about two weeks and actually laid three eggs in a row and then started back with the sunny side up eggs in the nest box. She expired three days later in quick fashion (about six hours from looking sick to death). That was a very sad day as these are my first hens and she was the first death. I thought the one with the tumor would go first. I’m down to one layer, and she is a champ, though takes more days off than she used to. I hope the one with the tumor hangs in there. It would be so sad to see the one hen alone. I feel like I should introduce a couple new adult hens, but I want to go with sturdier, less productive models to avoid the reproductive track problems common with these super layers. However, I’m not sure how new hens would integrate into a two-hen flock that have been de-beaked (by the chicken farmer). For now, it’s wait and see, and I too am thankful for the one hen still laying! It makes those Sunday morning egg bakes much more appreciated.
Hi Jill,
Thanks for your comments. Best of success with your flock!
Regards,
CB
Ah, Swiffer must go by the slogan “slow and steady wins the race”!
Hi Michele, she is definitely winning the race!
Thanks for your comments.
Regards,
CB
It takes a big man to apologize (rightly so) to his hen. 🙂 City Boy, it pays to respect the lady that marches to the beat of her own drummer. Swiffer obviously has her own band, her own timing, her own idea as to the right size for an egg. She is lucky to have you in the bleachers cheering her on!
Chicken Mama, you have done a great job in summing up this “complicated” hen. JOB WELL DONE! As usual, thanks for the laugh!
Warm Regards,
Hope things dry out for you soon.
CB