This summer we decided to raise a small flock of chickens — if three hens can be considered a flock — for their eggs. We built a 4′x4′ coop, fenced in a 20′x20′ area in our yard and, last month, picked up three adolescent brahmas from a local poultry farm ($15 each).

They’re pleasant enough to raise but by the beginning of August Stephanie was convinced two of our three hens were actually roosters. Since we have limited space, we took the largest bird in for processing (live drop-off, comes back a vacuum-packed roaster for $7) on our way to collect the egg-laying replacements, a pair of leghorns.

They are a cartoon breed. Half the size of the brahmas, our leghorns never stop moving. They peck at everything in reach, generally terrorize our brahmas and seemingly don’t have a brain between them.

But they’re producing an egg a day each. Now we make an afternoon trip to the coop to collect a pair of beautiful eggs. They look exactly like they do in the store: clean, well-shaped and white. And they’re warm, which is to be expected but still kinda weird.

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