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Saturday, June 4, 2011

A Treat Before Bed

 
    I finally got my camera working so I decided to show the active hens enjoying a quick treat before bed. The other four hens are broody right now so they spend almost all day sitting on eggs. The pictures below are of those four hens taken over the last few days. They are currently not distracted by snacks and only leave the nest when they need a quick bite to eat and a drink. Other than those brief moments when they take a break they won't leave their nest.
 
    Our broody hens have been a heated topic around our house lately due to a lack of egg production. We had the debate and decided that we would acquire some fertilized eggs and allow the hens to sit on them until they hatch. We hope they do! We happened to get a group of hens that is really good at sitting on eggs so we hope the effort pays off. We should know by next week when the 21 or so days it takes to hatch them is up.
 
    The hen shown first is Big Mama and she is at the top of the pecking order. Next is Queeny and she was the first to go broody. I believe this may be her first year at it but she is a natural. In the third picture is a hen named after a princess so I won't name her. However, I will say she is very good at defending her eggs and has a very sharp beek! In the final picture is Blacky or Beauty as I call her. She is a natural at the motherhood thing and I love her because she is docile and easy to check under for eggs. She will be a good hen to have around.
   




    We made a decision that almost all keepers of hens have to make. Do you stop the broody hen in her tracks through a difficult but usually short process or do you acquire fertile eggs and give the hen a chance to hatch them? It is an individual decision with consequences either way. For my family it was a heated debate at times. Eventually giving the hens a chance won out because fertile eggs are readily available thanks to a friend who's flock includes roosters. I was curious to see which hens would actually last the 21 days it takes to hatch the eggs. That can be risky because the chickens may die in the process or just not last through it and that means a lot of wasted time and energy.
 
    I hope this was enjoyable to read and look at. It will get better with time! Until next time enjoy your flock and keep fresh food and water out there it is is getting hot.

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