Hens and Eggs

This year I knew I would be too busy to buy chicks. I decided that I would let a hen do the work. I am afraid though, I am turning into a bit of a hoarder. I have a little tiny Mille Fleur that is from the first batch of chicks that hatched here. I would take a picture of her but she has always been the wildest little chicken and she just puts her head down and shuts here eyes when I come near. It just breaks my heart each time as no matter how great her fear, she will not leave her eggs. So I try to not disturb her very much or take her picture. She is very serious about her job. She is sitting on nine eggs.

In my other coop, I have a black New Jersey Giant that has went broody every year now for four years. I decided, well what the heck. My little Silkie hens are the only ones the roosters pay attention too so I took some more of their eggs and gave them to the New Jersey Giant and she has been sitting in the nest box and she is the first hen I have noticed that sings happily to herself in the nest box. Just a quiet little song as she sits in the dark. I wonder if they are chicken lullabies?

I don't know if a single egg will hatch. Last night when I went to collect eggs the Momma hen of the little Mille Fleur was fighting her daughter off the nest because she wanted her eggs. I grabbed four eggs from the other Silkie hens. So I took those eggs put them in another nest box and watched as the older hen spotted them and she walked around a bit and then finally got in the nest box herself. She sang too as she settled down on her four eggs. She used her beak to roll them gently under her feathers and as she adjusted herself. You could almost see her sigh with contentment.

There is something exciting about waiting for chicks. The first little hen should have some chicks by late next week or so. If all goes as I have planned I should be getting chicks in April. I just don't know for sure. I am trying to not count my chicks before they hatch.

I have been on the Murray McMurry  the smallest order they will ship is 15 chicks. I am not really set up for that many. Now if I had a bigger chicken pen...

Have a wonderful Tuesday this second day of April. I always forget the beauty of April and today it's beauty makes me just rejoice in the beauty of the green all around me.

~Kim~