"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Wednesday 14 October 2015

The patter of tiny feet...?

Well, Tweedle Dee ( and I suppose, in all fairness, Tweedle Dum) didn't waste any time.  She first started laying eggs on 6 September.

 But, she had been acting strange for the past couple of days - staying on her nest for hours - and sometimes producing an egg.  But, once the egg was laid, she then deserted the next again.  Or she went 2 or 3 days with no egg.
Nowt to see - but it had only just been laid lol
I did some research and deduced that perhaps she was "getting" broody.  So, for the last 7 days I have been collecting her eggs (4 of them)

Finally yesterday, she laid an egg - briefly got up off the nest and then returned to it again,  And hasn't budged since then - except to grab a quick bite to eat.

She has not ruffled her feathers, and apart from a few soft cluck-clucking noises this morning, she has not displayed any of the other normal symptoms of being broody.

 It's weird though - now that she is on the nest it is almost as though she has placed herself in a transcendental state.  She seems to react to nothing - not even the rattle of the feed container.  Normally, she gets so excited that she tries to knock it out of my hands - literally.  Now, she barely even opens her eyes (if they're closed) and she doesn't even look out of her nest.  All apparently perfectly normal reactions, but weird to experience.
Tweedle Dee in her recycled quaddie tyre nest.
 Do I put the (hopefully) new born chicks in
 the lower wood shaving filled nest once they
 are born - to give them easy access to food /
water?  I don't want them falling out of the
quaddie tyre...?!
So, yesterday evening, for the brief moment that she hopped out of her nest whilst she was getting some nourishment in her, I placed the 4 eggs I had saved into her nest together with the new one.

 Perhaps we'll have the patter of tiny chicken feet in 21 days time...?

I'll let you know :)
Posted by Dani at 11:55:00
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10 comments:

  1. FlowerLady Lorraine14 October 2015 at 13:22

    This will be interesting to watch.

    Hope you hear little peeps soon.

    FlowerLady

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    Replies
    1. Dani14 October 2015 at 14:19

      Lorraine - Lol "little peeps" - or should that be little cheeps...? :)

      Delete
  2. Mum14 October 2015 at 16:19

    Ahh!
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani14 October 2015 at 16:22

      Mum - Being new at this I hope it is an "Ahh" and not an "Aww". Did Tweedle Dum perform, or is Tweedle Dee sitting on the eggs in vain...? I should know by the 31st...

      Delete
  3. Quinn15 October 2015 at 03:41

    Good luck, Dani! I'm also hoping for some homebred chicks either before Winter or in the Spring :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani15 October 2015 at 16:13

      Quinn - You won't regret it - I never knew that chickens had their own character. They are definitely a happy addition to our smallholding :)

      Delete
  4. Tania15 October 2015 at 13:44

    Oh I love new chickies. Fingers crossed they all hatch out for you.

    We have three broody girls sitting on eggs at the moment. While they are broody we put them in separate cages to keep the other hens away. We have had hot weather the past couple of days, poor girls must get a tad warm...The chicks are due next week :)

    xTania

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani15 October 2015 at 16:14

      Tania - Lucky you - I don't have a separate cage, so the rooster joins her at nighttime. She slinks down in her nest, and he doesn't bother her.

      Hope all yours hatch too :)

      Delete
  5. tantalising labrat24 October 2015 at 16:31

    Zandy told me the other day that one day a hen happened to appear in their yard from somewhere. She laid several eggs and sat on them till they hatched. But unfortunately the dog or so predator got the chicks shortly after they hatched. So Wayne bought a clutch of chicks and the next night while mother hen was in her trans, he tucked them under her . The next day she came out to show of her brood - please as punch with herself. Wayne of course loved the joke.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani25 October 2015 at 15:40

      Brat - Clever Wayne :) Yeah, the trance that chickens go into is quite weird - almost scary to see...

      Delete

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