Saturday, June 13, 2015

R.I.P. Broody Hen!

CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK!!!

   I really wish I had happy news to report from here on the Shawhan farm. But, sadly, it's the opposite.

  We had a broody hen who was sitting on a HUGE clutch of eggs...I mean probably like 30 or so eggs...a real over-achiever. She had picked a pretty good place too, well out of the way and pretty hidden in a neglected corner of our barn, so Dan and I just let her be. I've always wanted to catch a sitter during her broody phase and see if she'd hatch out some chicks. We were pretty excited about this because here seemed our perfect chance!

  Every afternoon when Carl and went outside and I checked in on her, I kicked myself for forgetting the camera. I was going to take pictures and announce on here the excitement that was taking place.

 One day I had completely forgotten about her. That night Dan told me the horrible news that he suspected her dead. Multiple eggs had been broken and the cozy nesting nook was covered in lose feathers. If I was kicking myself for forgetting the camera, I was now whooping myself for not moving her to the safety of the empty brooder! (A thought that had crossed my mind multiple times as I watched her be a sitting duck.)

  So now we don't have the excitement of hatching out some homegrown chicks. This little moody broody hen died in the line of duty, being a good little self-sustaining hen.

 Quite frankly, I haven't been a very good chicken momma lately. I happen to be incubating my own little hatchling for the time being, and I was advised to keep a safe distance from my girls for the next 6 months...so my mind has been elsewhere.

  This doesn't excuse our laziness to not move broody hen to a safe place, however. I for one will be regretting that decision for a very long time.