If you’ve walked by the chicken coop at La Estancia lately and found the nesting boxes empty, there’s a good reason. This month, egg production at the farm is on pause while the team welcomes a new flock of hens, and the daily work has shifted from collecting eggs to helping the newcomers feel at home.
The team calls this stage induction, and it’s mostly a matter of patience. The hens are getting to know their coop, their feeding routine, the people who care for them every morning, and the sounds of a small working farm in Guanacaste. A hen that feels safe and settled is far more likely to lay well, so giving the flock this time now is part of caring for them properly.
If all goes as planned, the first eggs from the new flock should appear in December. And when they do, don’t be surprised if they look a little small. Young hens, known as pullets, typically begin laying somewhere between 16 and 24 weeks of age depending on their breed, and their first eggs tend to be smaller and a bit irregular while their bodies adjust. Within a few weeks, the eggs usually reach their full size.
In the meantime, La Estancia is as lively as ever. You can still stop by to meet the horses, sheep, and goats, and the farm’s honey is still available for purchase. As for the eggs, we’ll share news, and hopefully a photo, as soon as the first one turns up. On a farm, that small moment is always worth celebrating.