Surprise!

One of the Black Australorp hens went broody early this spring. She protected her eggs like they were gold and bloodied my hand more than once when I tried taking eggs from her. So, hey, go ahead and SIT!!! And sit she did for weeks and I had just about had enough this morning. I told Don....those eggs have to go. She's been sitting way too long and obviously the eggs weren't fertile or they would have hatched by now.

Imagine my surprise when I heard the loud PEEP PEEP after everyone had left the hen house this morning. Mommy left the nest for awhile and these two were left singing in the nest; with about a dozen more eggs that are yet to hatch.

As they say....."Don't count your chickens until they hatch." I didn't and now I have two little darlings. These are the first hatchlings at Catfish Corner. My previous attempts at using an incubator were a failure so I'm pretty happy to welcome these two special little ones. In honor of the event---and because they will be distinctive by being DIFFERENT from the rest, I have named them. Butter Puff for the one in the foreground and Spotty for the one in the back. It has two black spots on it's back...don't know how to sex them, so I will have to wait and see what they turn out to be. 

Now that these eggs have started coming to life it will be interesting to see how many do actually hatch.

Came by it honestly.......

 
I found this old tattered photo of my Grandma Anderson with her cute little chicken coop! I'm not sure where this was taken but at one point she had a nice flock of hens. I don't remember chickens at their place as a child, so it must have been earlier.

Maybe it was all the chicken poop that helped fuel the GORGEOUS flower and vegetable gardens she tended.

The Case of the Disabled Chicken

I found one of my hens on her side in the coop Monday. She was surrounded by her peers. Good grief, now what's going on? Is she disabled and being attacked? It happens in the barn that sometimes someone gets stepped on, old, or tired and ends up dying. But this one is different.

The hen wasn't looking too worse for wear and is only a year and a half old. She had bright eyes and a bright pink comb. But her legs and wings weren't working. She would try to stand up and would just plow forward on her side. Hmmmmm. Didn't look like she was going to expire anytime soon.

With over 40 hens, I take care not to name anybody. Even if I could!  But there are the roosters--easy to recognize. The different colored ones---2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Barred Rock, and the rest end up in the blur of Black Sex Link, Gold Star, Reds, and Australorps. But now there is one special Black Sex Link hen who is getting a lot of attention.

She has a bed on a shelf in the coop with the rest of the girls and has her own food and water. Her friends come up and roost by her. Probably to help her eat her special treats! I'm happy nobody seems to be picking on her. I pick her up a few times a day and give her a chance to test her legs and have a stretch. In the years I have had hens only a few have ever let me touch them, let alone carry them around so it has been a novelty to have a physical bond with one of the lovelies.

Chick Day at Catfish Corner

Summer went by too quickly, so I'm behind in getting new chicks started. Yesterday was the delivery date of my day old chicks. Twelve Gold Stars and 12 Black Australorps, and a rooster of each variety. Look out Louie---Louie II and Louie III are in the house.

Here is a new Little Louie. He has a paint dot on his head to identify him as a rooster.

I put up the larger chick pen today and got them moved out of their baby box and into an area with two heat lamps and more room to roam. 

Maggie is thoroughly mesmerized by them. They are so tiny and spritely that she can't help but enjoy their movements and little peeps. Even Paisley cat came over for a visit. He's harmless and the chicks seem to realize he isn't interested in hurting them.

Now, if I had a nice broody hen who would like to "mother hen" this group...... will have to see if I there are any volunteers.