Day 3

Day three and BH is still sitting ~ I don't think she's moved at all. How wide can one chicken get?

Day 1 on the nest

Here is Broody Hen (from now on to be referred to as BH if - I remember to) all settled and doing her thing.

We have EGGS!

So, after a gazillion phone calls and internet searches I found a brilliant chap who has 'live' eggs for sale! YAY!! The best bit is that he lives 15 mins away, is very friendly, very experienced and couldn't be more helpful. I can see me talking to Chris the Chicken Man several times over the next few weeks.

Here they are ~ 3 white Ancona, 2 very dark brown Welsummer, 3 light brown Light Sussex and 1 very pale brown Barnevelder at 12 o'clock in the piccy.

Steve constructed a lovely brood box in the less use forge so she can have piece and quiet.

Broody hen wasn't keen on sitting on them and tried to escape but I blocked her in overnight and this morning she is very happy ~ all floofed up with no eggs hanging out.

In 21 days we might have 5 or 6 chicks if we're lucky. She has food and water close enough so that she doesn't need to leave the nest to eat and drink. Chris said that if she doesn't eat for 2 days I need to lift her off the nest and put her next to the food.

The other 2 hens are walking 'round the garden looking for her =)

Broody Chicken

I thought that my first blog posting would be about my allotment or fibre crafting but no, a broody chicken has hi-jacked the blog.

We only have 3 chickens and one has gone broody. She refuses to eat, drink or lay. All she wants to do is sit in the nest box. As we have only one this is becoming a problem. The other chucks can't get in to lay.

So, I have sent several e.mails and phone messages to local poultry suppliers to see if I can get hold of a few fertilised eggs for her to sit on ~ it will be fun if she can hatch them out.