“Patience is a virtue” goes the adage. And while sure! I completely understand and agree with it (and even preach it to my kiddos) I find that its hard to do in practice.

As evidenced by some of my previous postings, one can see that I clearly enjoy chickens.

What isn’t there to love about them!

They are fluffy! They are soft! They are entertaining to watch!

They make breakfast!!!

…well. SOMETIMES they make breakfast.

I say sometimes, because when you first get chickens they are usually young. And I don’t mean just the cute little puffy cheeping type of young. I mean “they look grown, but are actually not” young.

This can be so decieving.

Chickens generally start laying between 18 and 20 weeks of age. But if you are like me, you forget how old the suckers are all the time. So every day after they look like full grown adults you go out there and eagerly open the nest box… to nothing.

This then is followed by squinting glares, mutterings about freeloaders, and desperate counting in trying to remember WHEN you got the blasted birds.

This goes on for A WHILE.

Then, suddenly! One day, you notice a small change in behavior. Maybe that one chicken suddenly put on her Big Girl Pants. And then there is an egg!!!!

AT LAST! All the patience has paid off!

…but wait. They don’t lay every SINGLE day perse. And when first starting out sometimes the eggs are…well… wierd, and left in odd places. So more patience must be employed.

I have been thinking on this, and how it relates to myself. I am NOT very good at patience. I like to try to be, but when it comes to surprises or going places I just want to get it done. Heck, even housework… JUST DO IT. It has actually affected me in negative ways. My anxiety can scream through the roof if I am not careful.

Like my other post “Slow Down” (https://fullspouse.com/2019/08/02/slow-down/), I have to consciously make myself sit down and not DO sometimes.

I also have to remember that my family is the same. I don’t need to have them hopping and doing all the time. They, too, need time to just smell the roses and enjoy life.

I need to be patient and trust the process. Both with humans and with chickens.

Eventually humans figure themselves out.

Eventually chickens figure themselves out. And then you will be in eggs that are relatively regular!

Unless its winter.

Or too hot.

Or they are stressed.

Or they get old.

….did I mention I love chickens?