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American grilling enthusiast and entrepreneur Ed Fisher developed the Big Green Egg cooker and opened his first retail store in 1974. Since then, the egg-shaped apparatus has grown in popularity, becoming a favorite among some grilling aficionados.

I was three years old when Fisher opened his first store in Atlanta and have marveled ever since at the enthusiasm of grillers who prefer the domed cookers. 

But none have expressed more excitement than I felt when one of my hens produced her first blue egg last week.

We’re not yet sure, or should I say I am not yet sure, which hen produced the egg, but I was excited nonetheless. I suspect that it was Sassy or Amber, but since I have not witnessed them on the nest, I can’t yet confirm my suspicions.

Blue eggs taste the same as other eggs, but as a novice backyard egg grower, I felt amazed at the sudden new diversity in my egg supply. Chanticleer, the rooster, seemed pleased as well and I thought I noticed him being slightly more attentive to a different hen-wife recently.

Each evening, we visit together. As the sun begins to settle in the west, I lounge nearby while my small flock explores the great backyard area.

Amber and Madge, the younger pair, enjoy hiding under a small hedge, while “Chanti” and the other ladies scratch for bugs, inching every day closer to the highway. Now and then, I shoo them back towards the coop while the rooster holds watch for predators – neighborhood cats, my dog, and sometimes me.

A friend reminds me not to name my food, but I admit that I have grown attached to the small flock. I have no expectation of debating the merits of blue eggs over brown the way grillers boast how a Big Green Egg cooks a better burger than traditional grills.

But I will say the chickens are a delight. They encourage me to relax in the sun, to step away from the keyboard and contemplate which toys might keep the birds entertained.

Thank you to the readers who have expressed their joy in hearing about my chickens. If I find a green or dark brown egg on the nest, I will be sure to let you know.