A Determined Mommy

[Francie]

This is Tweedledee, a Buff Orpington. One week, we noticed we were getting fewer eggs. We didn't know she made a secret nest in a wood pile! By the time we found it, she was permanently parked on it. So we brought her food and water and waited it out. And hoped the babies wouldn't become immediate hawk food! Out of 15 eggs, most of them hatched, but only three lived. It could have had something to do with the heat, because it was really stinkin' hot out! One of the chicks is very puny compared to her sisters (yes, I'm hoping they're girls!).

Now they live in the garden, still away from the other 2 sets of chickens, and we gave them their own house to be safe in at night. Not that safe, though, I guess a snake or coon could still get in. They are still very much hawk-bait, but I'm not up to building them a run with a net roof.

We have about 22 chickens. Six breeds, plus a mixture of a few. At least 6 roosters so far. We're not sure how the different groups of chickens are going to get along or live together; we're just playing it by ear. One group of chickens is sort of mean, and all the kids said we should eat them! LOL! If we eat our chickens, we really should be eating the oldest group first, and rotating them through. But that was our first group, kind of like pets, and so far we aren't all in agreement about it! So we may end up with lots of extra eggs! At least it has worked out so far that when we stuck a group of chickens way out in a pasture, they are staying out there and not hanging out around the house and making a mess.

They are still pretty easy to deal with. I don't think I would purposely add more, though. Not unless they were all waaaay away from the house!

[Pat Robinson]

So, Tweedledee built her nest? How cool!


Pat

[Francie]

I'm not sure how she worked this nest out! We had a pile of brush near a fire pit, and maybe it was just a lucky spot, but she has kind of like a cave.