One Very Broody Hen.

During the last week in February we noticed one of our Dominicker hens was hanging out in the nesting box all day and night for back-to-back days... After trying to get her to stop and continually taking the eggs from her, we did some research and found out she was being what they call "broody". What does this mean? This means she wants to sit on eggs and hatch baby chicks. So on March 8th we hand-picked 3 Buff Orpington eggs and 3 Araucana eggs and put them under her for a 21-day sitting. We do not know if this experiment will work or if any of the eggs will make the entire 21-day cycle... But, we will be excited to have new babies if this works!

This was in the last week of February when she was not actually "sitting" on any eggs day-to-day.

Can you see the look of "don't mess with me or my eggs" in Frances Marion's eye?? Yes, the Mama hen wanna-be is VERY protective of her clutch of non-existent eggs.

First day on the nest of 6 eggs for Frances! Notice how much she puffs out to cover those precious babies!!

Day 3 of the "Egg Watch 2014"!

On Day 7 of Egg Watch 2014 Hubby noticed that one of the Rhode Island Red's "Rocky Road" keeps trying to babysit the clutch of eggs when Frances goes for a food & water break. Poor Frances has to sit next door and wait for the other hen to leave.

Day 11... We are down to 5 eggs at this point since someone (we are sure another hen being mean since that's what chickens do to each other) pecked open one of the green Araucana eggs back around Day 9.

On Day 13 Hubby found one of the Rhode Island Red hens sitting ON TOP OF Frances!! What in the world is wrong with these hens??! Poor Frances is just trying to protect her clutch of babies.

And then those crazy Reds got into the nesting box together to "babysit" those eggs. (!!??!)

Day 14 everything is back to normal after the RI Red hens shenanigans the day before... Hubby and I had to re-mark her eggs on this day and discovered that one of the large Buff eggs is gone. No evidence at all of foul play... just "poof!" gone into thin air. So we are down to 4 eggs in the clutch. :(