The Independence Day weekend without too much visiting company, thankfully. I still didn’t feel like I had enough time to myself, but at least I got some time. I managed to get some small shrubs planted, as well as a few herbs. Maybe next weekend will be even more productive.
Speaking of productive, the weekend was very exciting for two hens. One hen I knew had been sitting on eggs, but I didn’t really expect many to hatch and I had no idea she had eleven eggs under her. Or any clue of when they would hatch. Anyway, she hatched out all but one of her eggs. In the loft, of course. Apparently, designated nest boxes are never good enough for that sort of thing.
And bonus, she’s a friendly mother hen, who doesn’t lash out at you or attack when you get near the little ones.
The day after, I carried the mother hen and her chicks all down from the loft and into a safer place. It was shortly thereafter that I heard one hell of a commotion coming from the garage in the morning. I though maybe she had moved the chicks from the barn and into the garage, where a cat or dog might be too close for her comfort.
What I found was another hen, who had built a nest up in the garage awning, laid ten eggs herself , and hatched out nine for her brood. The problem was, she couldn’t figure out how to get them all down (from ten feet up). And she was really quite frantic about the whole situation.
That’s were I came in, with a ladder and some help. We got them all to the ground and she had them off and trailing behind her through the yard and pastures like it was no body’s business.
I need to do a head count, but I think I’m up to around 60+ chickens at the moment. Anyone need chicks?…~A
