(no subject)

[ewt]

EEP. Went to let the hens out (a bit late, I know), and found that I must have not closed their outer gate properly yesterday, leaving them vulnerable to overnight attack by foxes and goodness knows what else. Thankfully all eight of them were there, happily pecking around in the garden. Maybe the garden smells enough of dog that it kept the fox away.

It seems they'd rather not lay eggs in the nest box at all if they can help it. There were four eggs this morning - one beside the nest box and another three randomly hanging about the garden, I'm lucky I didn't step on any. It felt a bit like Easter but without the chocolate. I didn't see any broken bits of eggshell around the garden, though. One of the eggs was a green one from Silver. There may be more eggs on the nest beside the compost heap, but I couldn't tell because there was a hen sitting on it.

If I were Jayne, I would cull Henny Penny (who has been caught egg-eating) and the broody hen that keeps sitting on the nest all the time. However, I'm not Jayne. I don't know how attached the girls are to the hens, or whether it is just a matter of finding a good kosher shochet.

I'm glad the fox didn't get them.

Comments

[qadira.livejournal.com]

I'd keep the brooder, if it were me. Hens only have a few years of good egg-laying in them. A hen that will properly nest on her eggs is a good way to get new chicks.. well, it would be if your friend had a rooster. LOL. The egg-eater would be dinner though. :D

[cathawk.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear the hens turned out to be all right!!