The hen's nest is below our kitchen window, so we can watch the procession in and out of there all morning. It's a funny process. One hen hops in there, flaps around a bit, pulls bedding material around her, cleans herself, and at some time unknown to us, she lays an egg. Then she sits on it for a while. Meanwhile, two or three hens stand around quietly watching her. It occurred to me this morning that it looks like a line for a Port-a-Potty. One comes out, the next goes in.
We try to snag the eggs before the next hen lays, because they tend to peck eggs that are already in the nest. Then we have to cook those eggs right away. We also worry that subsequent hens will step on the eggs and crack or break them. It hasn't happened yet, but it's hard for me to see why not.
Really, the hens couldn't have picked a better place to build a nest. We can poke our heads out the window and monitor their progress, then run outside to grab the eggs. We can also toss out little treats for them, like melon rinds and oats, to distract them while we steal the eggs.
Then again, we're rather exposed ourselves. Yesterday, one of the hens started honking at me while I was collecting. I put the eggs back and then grabbed them again when she wasn't looking. I'm still a bit afraid of them. I bet they could kick my ass if so inclined.
No comments:
Post a Comment