Tuesday, December 05, 2017

No Dixie Chicks

Late last month, we had a rare occurrence here....a broody hen!

Dixie gathered nine eggs for herself and I ended up moving her into her own separate nesting area.  Given Solomon is rather advanced in years and I rarely see him with a hen (if you know what I mean), I wasn't hopeful anything would hatch.

Estimated hatching day was last Saturday.  We gave it a couple of extra days before pulling the pin.  Dixie was evicted from her nest and the nine (now rotten) eggs were disposed of.  The door to her special nest was shut, preventing her from going back in.

This is the second time we have tried to hatch eggs supposedly fertilised by Solomon.  A year ago, a friend on the farm tried putting our eggs under her broody hen, but nothing hatched.  I'm sad for the old fella.  I was hoping he would produce an heir....Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

Even though she sat for three weeks for nothing, Dixie will not give up.  She was most annoyed at being turfed off her nest and went around the yard, puffing herself up and making the indignant cluck characteristic of broody hens.  Today, she was back on the main nest where the other hens lay, stockpiling more eggs for herself.  She was cross when I took them away.

So, it appears I will need to source some fertilised eggs from somewhere if I am to appease my cranky bird.  She gives a good peck!

As Duncan likes to say....a comfortable-looking hen.



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