RebeccaBoyd
Crossing the Road
I've predicted this since the day Mr. P arrived. I'm not trying to be mean, I've just been on the receiving end twice now of the same sneaky hen disappearing, feared dead and showing back up with chicks. The first time Momma hen pulled the stunt was when we we moved from the barn up to the house. I had all the chickens transitioned from the barn to the house but her. She was still in her semi-wild state and she just disappeared. I looked for her, even looked in the barn when at the time no one was supposed to be in it. Missed her nest as she was hidden between the walls of a stall. I remember it like yesterday. November 1st, dad takes Dirt for a walk and calls me to come get my hen and her babies. She had heard or saw him and brought 3 chicks to him begging for food. I came down, took my beating but caught the 3 chicks and was walking home with her in tow when while passing the barn I heard it. A distressed chick coming from inside. Go inside and find the chick plus the scene of a massacre. She had hatched off 12 in that wall, and there were 8 little bodies scattered in the barn isle plus the stall with only their necks broken. To this day I do not know what killed those chicks. Got everyone home and set her up in a dog kennel and thankfully within a few days Momma Hen knew where home was now. Those 4 surviving chicks, 3 boys 1 girl, of course. A year and a half later, same hen, vanishes suddenly. Look everywhere, even back down at the barn. Not a sign, had neighbors on the lookout for her as well, nothing. Walk outside one morning and there she is, with 10 under her. This time around she gave me 2 daughters, wasn't she just thoughtful. She tried to pull the stunt once again this summer but thankfully one of the red girls led me to the nest before she went to setting. I found her stash, 15 eggs. I've learned my lessen with that hen and instead swapped her out with only 4 chosen eggs. 2 hatched. She is almost done with them and I now need to start trying to find a home for 2 pretty boys. I predict the sneaky hen is going to be Marty, she is tiny and black and already likes playing the disappearing act in the mornings. I also don't think Ponypoor is going to have my rooster luck, not everyone is as cursed as I am.I agree. Sneaky nest somewhere and a whole brood emerges in the spring.
