Sdwd

[kathyinmo]

Soooooooooo, I'm outside cleaning up messes. I have my camera, and took a picture of some black Orps roosting up on an old tractor that is not in use.....





I looked a little closer.......... inside.........
I had been wondering why I hadn't seen her (blue copper marans) up around the house (as she usually is). She is sitting on a dozen eggs.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Kathy, she was hiding from you so you wouldn't put her in the broody buster! Beautiful girl, btw.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, what a bad girl she is!


June once again was on a nest, changed locations, sat for ages, got off, no egg. I took her to the house to examine her and neither Tom or I can feel anything amiss in the abdomen, nothing at all. And Riley is still doing that, as is Nora. June and Nora are older than Riley, both 4 years. Riley isn't quite 3 years old yet, way too young for me to lose her, but again, I'm helpless to do anything about any of it.

I was missing Zane desperately this weekend, the way he's cock his head and wink at me, snuggle against me, crow his heart out for me. His cheerful spirit was such a huge presence around here. I was cleaning out the area above his empty cage and had to look at it way too much, so I guess that's what made me weepy over him again. My sweet baby rooster, I'll never forget him. Guess I have chicken footprints all over my heart by now, with all the sweet souls who have come and gone from here.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Cyn, I know it's not much but..

 

[kathyinmo]

Kathy, she was hiding from you so you wouldn't put her in the broody buster! Beautiful girl, btw.

After that storm yesterday, I figured the eggs would be wet and there would be no chance of them hatching. Well, I picked her up, and was quite surprised that they were all totally dry. I moved her and the 13 eggs into a Nella-brooder. She settled down on the eggs right quick like.

I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE BROODY GIRLS, AND I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE CHICKS ! ! !

This broody Icelandic has 9 (all Icelandic) chicks..... I moved her out of a Nella-brooder today.

 

[kathyinmo]

Cyn, I know it's not much but..

x2. Darn it. Just nothin' ya can do.

 

[speckledhen]

None of them have affected me like Zane, though a couple came close. Zane really was the love of my life, just my own personal angel. Wish you could have met him, Laura. He sometimes just radiated love and some would think I was nuts, but we had a special connection. Isaac and I are great pals and so are Suede and I, but Zane was such a light in my life over the past few years.



Yeah, nothing I can do for the hens. We gave Riley a round of penicillin when her abdomen seemed bloaty, hoping we got any infection at the beginning, but who knows? Nora has had egg issues for two years; I think a crushed egg in the nest the other day may have been hers, but that's the only one I've even suspected was hers for ages and ages. Can't fix 'em. Just hope they don't have one of those long, drawn-out illnesses.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Kathy, that broody Icelandic looks firece!

 

[Serrin]

Your reputation precedes you, Kathy! Your girls know all too well what you do with broody hens!! I'm glad you've had a change of heart with at least your Maran's girl. How far along do you suppose the eggs are? Did you candle any of them to get an idea? If I could, I would just trade you straight across for your broodies. Personally, I love 'em!

Cyn, that goes for me too.

All ya can do is keep them comfortable and love them. The rest is out of our hands. Zane is never far from you, you know. So long as you hold him in your heart, his presence is still with you, even if you can't hold him, see him or hear him. His heart is never far from yours.

 

[kathyinmo]

Kathy, that broody Icelandic looks firece!

She is VERY fierce..... like I have never seen before! She SCREAMS when anyone comes anywhere near her and her chicks.

Your reputation precedes you, Kathy! Your girls know all too well what you do with broody hens!! I'm glad you've had a change of heart with at least your Maran's girl. How far along do you suppose the eggs are? Did you candle any of them to get an idea? If I could, I would just trade you straight across for your broodies. Personally, I love 'em!

I like an occasional broody mama too, but not a whole flock of them! Enough is enough, I tell ya! I have no idea how far along these eggs are. No, I did not candle them. 11 of them are her own, I am quite sure. They are all her color and I doubt anyone else jumped in there to lay. I take that back..... some one (2) did. There is one Ameraucana egg and one tan egg in the clutch, too. I'll just wait and see what happens.