Today I had the pleasure of actually witnessing Tilly lay an egg.  Tilly is and always has been very vocal.  I think that she spends most of her days telling the flock about her woes.  She chatters in a very low voice and interlaces her conversations with the occasional higher pitch, almost as if she is asking a question.

It must be had work being at the top of the pecking order.  Tilly always has to watch her back.  She gives commands, shouts orders and entertains Chocolate’s flirtations.  In her sweet raspy little voice she tells it like it is.  She narrates her entire life.  “Bwah, bwah, buuurrrr..it’s so cold out and the wind is really blowing my feathers all over the place.” ” Woo, rrr, bak, BAWK…this is my scratch, stay away!”

Tilly did not spend too much time in the run this morning, as she sensed that she needed to lay an egg and let everyone know about it.  Quickly, she ran to the nesting box, like a little kid trying to make it to the potty.  She settled into her favorite box on the right. Then, she started her narration.

I only heard the narration because I was outside with Dolly during her supervised outing from “Camp Broody”.  Most of the girls are incredibly quiet as they lay, not Tilly.  She give you the entire play by play run down of the egg’s adventure.  During this time, no other chickens dare to enter the coop.  I’m not entirely sure of the reason.  Perhaps because she is head hen or perhaps because the other girls like it dark and quiet when they lay.  Maybe, Tilly is like a massage therapist that talks the entire time during your supposedly peaceful relaxing massage.

Finally, after listening to her for over 10 minutes, the egg must have reached the nesting box.  Tilly shouts out to the world announcing the arrival of her beautiful golden brown egg.  As she emerges from the coop, she takes a drink of water and rejoins the others in their morning chicken tawk. There are no awkward quiet moments in conversations with her.  She has perfected the art of conversation, even if it is with chickens