One of My Girls Has a Hobby

[3KillerBs]

Collecting golf balls.

After the POL pullets kept kicking them out of the boxes so that I was losing them in the deep litter, I was down to one golf ball per nest.

That's not good enough for one of the girls. This is what I found last night:

Not sitting on them (of course that may come), but collecting them.

 

[Isadora]

Someone's been watching too much Happy Gilmore.

 

[629864]

Collecting golf balls.

After the POL pullets kept kicking them out of the boxes so that I was losing them in the deep litter, I was down to one golf ball per nest.

That's not good enough for one of the girls. This is what I found last night:

View attachment 3007139

Not sitting on them (of course that may come), but collecting them.

I had a few golfballs disappear. I think a poor unsuspecting ratsnake may have taken the first one. So anyhooo...after a handfull of golfballs had gone missing, I decided to get some fake wooden eggs as replacements. I guess my ladies knew the golfballs were "place holders" and pretty much accepted them as such. But when I replaced all of the golfballs with the wooden eggs, the next morning I found 3 of them kicked out of the nest. I guess someone thought they were bad eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

I had a few golfballs disappear. I think a poor unsuspecting ratsnake may have taken the first one. So anyhooo...after a handfull of golfballs had gone missing, I decided to get some fake wooden eggs as replacements. I guess my ladies knew the golfballs were "place holders" and pretty much accepted them as such. But when I replaced all of the golfballs with the wooden eggs, the next morning I found 3 of them kicked out of the nest. I guess someone thought they were bad eggs.

I live in a golf resort area so used balls are cheap and readily available in thrift stores.

At some point in the next few years I expect to find some round, white "rocks" in the compost.

It amazes me how readily hens can move golf balls or eggs from one place to another. They can't roll them from one box to the next, they have to tuck it under a wing, go out on the landing perch and carry it to the new box.

 

[629864]

I would love to see a hen pick up an egg with her wing. So cool!

I also found a golfball way out in the middle of the chicken yard. Either a squirrel stole it and then realized it wasn't edible or a hen really REALLY didn't want it in the nesting box.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would love to see a hen pick up an egg with her wing. So cool!

I also found a golfball way out in the middle of the chicken yard. Either a squirrel stole it and then realized it wasn't edible or a hen really REALLY didn't want it in the nesting box.

If you ever get a broody be sure to reach up under her wings to remove any eggs she's got tucked in there BEFORE pulling her out of the next box. (I call this "picking her pockets").

It's an AWFUL mess to crush an egg between the hen's wing and her body when you lift her.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

If you ever get a broody be sure to reach up under her wings to remove any eggs she's got tucked in there BEFORE pulling her out of the next box. (I call this "picking her pockets").

It's an AWFUL mess to crush an egg between the hen's wing and her body when you lift her.

I didn't know that was a thing! Crazy

 

[629864]

If you ever get a broody be sure to reach up under her wings to remove any eggs she's got tucked in there BEFORE pulling her out of the next box. (I call this "picking her pockets").

It's an AWFUL mess to crush an egg between the hen's wing and her body when you lift her.

Wow! I would never have even thought about that, so I really appreciate the heads up!

"Picking her pockets." Hilarious