It was 10 degrees F. this morning. There’s 6 inches of hard, icy snow on the ground. But, there are two sure signs of spring:

1) The gardening catalogs have arrived in the mail. I will try (yet again) not to order too many seeds. It’s easy to get carried away when the only green outside is on the pine trees. I don’t have enough room in the garden to plant everything I’d like, so I try and limit my selections. I also have enough gardening experience to know that some things just don’t do well for me; I’m death to sweet peppers. I’ve also got a terrible problem in my vegetable patch with cabbage loopers – but am thinking of planting kale anyway, just for the girls. Leafy greens covered with bugs is their favorite treat.

2) The hens have started laying! I’m getting enough eggs so that I can put the oatmeal back in the pantry, and have my hard-cooked egg on homemade toast in the morning. I know that a number of HenCam viewers found this site because they asked the question “when will the hens start laying?” or “what’s wrong with my Orrpington?” The only thing amiss with your chickens is the dark of winter! So, even if it well below freezing, go out and check your nesting boxes – if possible twice a day, so that the eggs don’t sit there and freeze and crack. Also, if you have pullets who have never laid before, put a wooden egg in each box to give your girls a hint about where to lay. (Purchase these eggs from poultry supply houses, like EggCartons.com. See my site, chickenkeeping.com for a list.)