The Beast and I were discussing the *broody* hen and both of us had the same question. Were we really dealing with just one hen or was it possible that (at times) we were disturbing a hen trying to lay an egg? So the Beast came up with an idea. He's going to mark the broody hen with a spot of spray paint on her back so we know for sure. Since they are constantly replacing feathers, it won't be anything fatal or toxic since they don't eat their feathers and it will be just a touch.
How will we know if it's the broody hen? By the temperature of the eggs underneath her. The broody hen sits on them and they all get VERY warm. That only comes from sitting on them for a long time. When a hen lays her egg, she does it and leaves the nesting box. It's nowhere as warm as the eggs the broody hen adopts. This way, if it's NOT the broody hen in the nesting box, we will know that it's a hen laying her egg a bit later than usual and we can leave her alone and check back later.
Today was the lightest day since the hens first started laying eggs. Only four eggs collected today. That's okay with me...for a bit. I have more eggs than I can believe. If you looked in my fridge, you would think I fed a small army or that we were crazy about eggs. Really crazy....LOL. We gave away 3-1/2 dozen eggs just in the last two days, and yet, I have seven dozen eggs in my fridge. *Sigh* I'm going over to Cee's tomorrow afternoon and I will call her in the morning to check and see if she needs any more.
I'm pretty sure most of my neighbors have stopped buying eggs since we are so glad to provide them for free. Why not? It keeps them from complaining about Freddy who is now crowing a lot more than he used to. Frantic Fran is still our runner. That hen does NOT know how to just walk around like the others. She runs all the time. The only time she stands still is either when she finds some insects or else when the corn is thrown down in their yard.
We now have one I call Sally (Shy Sally) because she is always the last one in the coop since she halfway hides when we go near her. She does the same thing when the cat wants to play. She will run and hide behind the tree next to the coop or under the stairs up to the deck. She might be shy due to intimidation by the hens even but I am not sure of that. I think she is the one that the hens shoved aside when I was throwing in some of the weeds from the garden for them to eat. I think I mentioned how I threw some kind of far away from where I was standing and then gave the poor hen a pile of her own.
I made us another salad today but I put in hard boiled eggs that I sliced plus some onion and ham. I used balsamic vinegar and used some garlic salt on mine but the Beast used that French dressing I told you about. I enjoyed mine and he ate almost all of his, too. He only left a few green bits behind.
Well, it's time to post this. The Beast had another early night and has been in bed about an hour and a half already. When he does this, he usually is up around 5:30 or 6am. I've been up all day with no nap so I am tired, too. I'll post this and hope I get to sleep more than two hours before I wake up to pee. *Sigh*
Love you all. Remember to be kind. It's a sign of a good heart and I wish you all that along with a peaceful spirit. ***Hugs***
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