What A Wonderful Surprise!!

This morning, while moving the chicken tractor, I noticed a hen out grazing. She wasn't far from the meat birds. Thing was, I hadn't let the chickens out yet..They usually come over and try to eat the meat birds' feed while I'm moving the tractor about, so less trouble if they wait until I'm done. If you recall, I had been given a bunch of hens from the owner of the last 3 sheep I had purchased. Well, I hadn't seen her for ages. I thought she had been eaten by a predator. It happens. She and a few friends had taken to perching in the trees at night, much like turkeys do...

Sometimes my hens sneak out from under the bottom of the coop and I soon expected to see a few more of the smaller ladies joining this one. But wait, what is that sound? I've heard it just recently , in the house as my eggs are hatching 3 days early!! Well, look at that! She hatched some chicks!! All on her own. After I completed the feeding and watering and relocating of the might meats, I slowly approached to check them out. Holy cow!! There are about 15 of them!! Mostly look like Mom, who is black but there was a brown striped one and a silvery grey with white...Hmm. And here I am with an incubator full that looks to be a successful hatch this time around... 6 so far... I am not complaining. I am tickled pink that I finally have a hen that can do what Nature intended for her to accomplish!

Here are a few with Momma hen in the background.


Her nest is located in the base of a tree trunk. I am so glad to see the little ones as just 2 night prior, we received a real soaker around midnight that lasted some time and flooded a few fields. It also resulted in me going out at night trying to get the might meats to higher ground. I was wading in inches of water...sadly 1 chicken did drown. It was then I decided that I was not attempting a third batch this year. Too many losses within this first batch already.

On a knitterly note, I am knitting a shawl, almost completed another.. and washing Misty's fleece. I have half done... you certainly do lose a lot after skirting and washing. It is an amazing color. Too bad I don't have a decent camera too capture it.