But if, (and only if) you want a man around the house, this guy will fit the bill straight away! He’s a strong roo, with a great personality and sadly, he’s kinda picky about the females of his harem.
Stud service $.25 View attachment 3797701
Momma Hen needs to come visit Mr. Jaffar. She would win him over and then out some Jaffar Jrs.
 
Tuesday was an Eventful day

Event #1

First, how many ways can I accidentally hurt these chickens? I keep inventing ways. Diane got tangled in the piled aviary netting, part of the stuff I had taken down from connection with the covered run and the other greenhouse frame and had been figuring ways to attach again. Part of it was up and on another frame for their use, but this half was down. She was probably thinking she could sneak under it. No one else had tried and I had witnessed everyone else checking it out, they looked at the wall of netting ending in the dense pile and said No. So I thought it was okay how it was. Well, Diane is a trailblazer and apparently went for it.

She wasn't there long, but maybe as long as an hour, as I had been monitoring everyone via cameras and visually. So I had thought she was laying her egg when I didn't see her, but didn't check the nestbox camera (another ding on Arlo Pro vs the Ultra, this camera takes the longest time connecting with the base and so is a PITA to fire up). I did hear a different cawing just before we planned to leave for a bike ride. I went out to physically check on everyone and top up their bowl water before we left (they have a full nipple waterer too) and found her bundled up in the netting.

She wasn't going crazy then but she made another attempt to free herself and I could see she was tired and hot in the sun, as I checked her out she was panting every so often and closing her eyes briefly. In a panic - stress is so hard on them! - I worked to free her and could not do it. I got her neck free of one square but there was more there and she was caught in a twisted way, she had a wing through it somewhere too, it wasn't choking her but there was no give and something hurt - she squawked - when I tried to move any netting significantly. Her feet were in a bird's-nest of netting. I would have to cut her out.

A good thing here was that the blunt kid scissors I use to trim butt feather poops was near, right there in the covered run, I had just a couple days ago decided to hang them there.
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I got them and carefully cut her loose, the netting was buried in her dense plume feathers and hard to see, so I worked from the outer netting inward.

Tedi came over and tried to "help" and kept getting in my line of sight, right on top of things. But I think her company helped Diane stay calm. Diane didn't struggle before I had her completely free, and she stopped panting and stayed alert. I sorted her feet, then lifted her out.

Another good sign was that she gave me a light peck on my scissor hand when it was right in front of her cutting the net there, but minus the warning / upset growly squeal she usually gives me. Maybe she knew I was doing something important and her reasons for challenging me were moot? Just for old times' sake? Like a reminder peck: Just So You Remember Your Place And Who I Am. Once You Get Me Outta Here.

So I freed her shortly and immediately carried her over to the water, thinking she'll need to drink and cool down, and should I give her electrolytes, sugar water? Nope, not interested, she went away and hung out under the coop, standing in the shade. I thought she needed to cool down and collect herself, and seemed okay.

I started re-attaching the netting any way I could to do away with the netting pile and still make it hawk-safe while we would be gone for our bike ride.

Event #2
I was still reattaching when DH came back from his easy ride while waiting for me, but he wasn't back checking on progress, he had fallen off his bike in a tight U-Turn move on loose road sand and his leg was really hurting, and he had pulled something in his ribs too. Anything broken? Did you hit your head? What's hurting? Where? Ice-packs. Skin check. Meds. It looks like he bashed his leg muscle below the hip and didn't fracture anything. Big broad goose egg. He says he "slid into home base" on his bike. He has minimal / non-existent road rash though, like the bike slid out and he went straight down. He is doing okay, bending his leg hurts. So he is limping around. I went back out to finish the aviary netting, open the tarps and check on Diane.

Event #3
Why was Diane standing like that under the coop? Resting up? Nope. She was laying an egg that she must have held in before. How did I find out? I was rolling the tarps up to give them better breezes for the warm day. When I rolled the tarp up on the end underneath the coop I discovered this:
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Six eggs. If you zoom in you can see it, so well disguised, plus the tarp was dusty! Also, there's a seventh egg at about 10 o'clock above.
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This might be Diane here; when I went under there to collect them she was all up in my business that's for sure...well I was all up in her business I guess...I had to do it with one eye closed, she pecked my cheekbone!

This explains Buckeye Hazel sitting back there a few days ago, throwing bits on her back. I thought it was cute. I saw her "resting" there a couple of times. She does take rests through the day, not just there. She's never laid anywhere except in the nestbox until now, so I'm blaming this on the Spuds influence!

Diane has been foraging with Hazel at times, and she takes some pecking by her at roost time but steadfastly stays next to her. I think she is apprenticing. Nobody is acting broody.

The view from down under, yes I was on my belly. It actually is pretty nice under there! No wet poops were encountered.
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Four Spuds Buff Orpington eggs, three Buckeye eggs.
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Explains the drop in eggs found in the nestbox this last week-10 days, getting 2 or 3 a day instead of 3-4, mostly Spuds eggs but not entirely. I had thought the "spring flush" might be over for the Buckeyes. I really don't know how long this nest has been going. Since we had freezes within that time frame I'm thinking they can't be relied on to be good, though none are cracked? I'll open them outside and see how they are, and scramble them up for a treat for them.

Diane The Trailblazer, in egg laying and elsewhere, all recovered later that day. "That's a great nest, don't you think?"
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Anna digging, in front, Popcorn on the left
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Hazel on the right, watching out
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Poor Sylvie!

I am glad my grey ladies and Buttercup were only trying out the BUK BUK BUKing. They seem to have given up on being broody.

Meanwhile it seems that the first load of chicks to arrive at Peavey will be on the 23rd, just as well I don’t have anyone broody!!!!!
The 23rd, how exciting!
Quick, mail Pony a heat blanket so she could raise the chicks in a brooder herself!
 
Hello all,
Great day!
First time for the chicks outside.
And turns out, I now have 4 new chicks! My friend gave them to me as he couldn't take care of them. They are all in their new home now, the coop. All they need now is bedding.
And the adults in a group photo.
View attachment 3797597
Oh fun! Surprise chicks! So there are seven now? Do you know their breeds?
 
Do you want chicks but not the responsibility of raising them? Are you wanting to hatch out some eggs, but have no incubator and your hens have never been broody a day in their life?

Rent-A-Broody is open for business.
For a small fee of $1.00 you can rent a broody hen to adopt or hatch out for you. For no additional charge fertilized eggs can be sent with the broody girl if you do not have a rooster of your own. Renter agree's to put up with whatever behavior your Momma exhibits. Some are nice to people, other's will try to murder you for looking at their chicks. It is all part of the broody experience.

Currently available:
View attachment 3797637
On the left we have Goose. Goose is a proven broody who raised 8 chicks of her own last year. She can easily cover 8 to 10 normal sized eggs or at least a dozen bantam eggs. She shrieks and growls but does not bite when you disturb her or check her eggs. She is already been sitting for right at 2 weeks and is half silkie. If you wanted a hen to adopt some day old chicks Goose is your girl.

On the right we have Lilly. Lilly is unproven but comes from a line of proven broody Marans. She would be a good one to set some eggs under. Lilly is a big girl, she can easily cover a dozen normal eggs or 15 bantam eggs if you are feeling adventurous. Word of warning, Lilly will bite you if you reach under her.

Not currently broody but when she does go there is always "The Ole Bat". I will pay someone to take this hen to let them set. A waiver must be signed for her though. She is tried and true and bat crap crazy. You WILL be shrieked at, bit and the skin twisted, and flogged. When the chicks hatch, she WILL attack you when you refill the chicks food and water. You WILL NOT be allowed to be within 5 feet of the chicks. Do NOT look at or think of touching the first 4 weeks, just don't. Her chicks are smart though as she is a survivor and she passes down her skills to them.
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If interested call 1-800-Broody-Hen.
Lmao this is amazing!
 
Well, I did something that hurt me to do a few minutes ago. I love Poppet's poof. Poppet gets to free range now so I know it had to affect her vision. I took a page out of @Ponypoor book and trimmed her poof. It is not perfect by any means but I can see eyeballs now. She was not happy though and it took me and Rosie to do it. I think tomorrow I will have to touch up one side a bit more.
Poppet before trim.
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"I can see clearly now the poof is gone.."
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"I can see clearly now, the poof is gone!" :clap:lau:gig
 

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