Errant Hen

This hen has been hanging around the construction site since we began. All our efforts to catch her and keep her with the other chickens have been thwarted. I admit my efforts were somewhat halfhearted because I thought she might be nesting. And I love to watch hens raise their own chicks.

Sure enough. As we started to clean up the pile of scrap lumber, we found this nest with fifteen(!) eggs. You have to admire the craftsmanship. Carefully arranged walnut leaf stems.

What to do? I want to move the lumber. And I want to save my new garden where she's been dustbathing.

Greg stepped in. Last week I gave him some eggs to incubate with his grandchildren. He offered to add these to the eggs in his incubator.

Last night the hen was roosting forlornly halfway up the new back stairs. I had no trouble picking her up and returning to the chicken coop. I feel a little bad about that. But it will be nice not to see new damage to the garden every day.

There's one hen still at large somewhere in the yard. I haven't seen her yet this morning, which leads me to believe that she's nesting somewhere, too.