web analytics

Then there’s this garden drama

In this hole, there lives a chicken. At least, I hope she’s still there – I haven’t seen her today.

She’s a jaunty little orange poland hen who vanished over the weekend, presumed devoured. But then she appeared briefly the next morning, nervous and starving hungry, before zooming out of reach and disappearing. Same again the following afternoon.

Broody! I knew they had a hidden place they were laying eggs (I get more eggs when they’re locked up), but I’ve looked all over and couldn’t find it. I finally managed to follow her back to this hole.

It goes way back and is too small for the fox (I hope). It’s covered in layers of brushwood. I think she’s okay in there.

It’s about six feet from the bin that It raids at night

But here’s my dilemma: I’m pretty sure she’s sitting on duds. They’ve been laying there (or somewhere hidden) for months. And, anyway, if they aren’t duds, the LAST thing I need are more chickens. Giving them away wouldn’t be easy, either – they’re mixed breed mongrels and chicken keepers are snooty about that.

I could try to catch her and snap her out of it, but it’s awfully distressing for the chicken. Not to mention the eggs, if they’ve started to germinate.

Pekins go broody at the drop of a hat – they’re famous for it – and I have plenty of experience shooing them off empty nesting boxes. But this girl is not a pekin. She is serious, is sitting on actual eggs, and has a shot at being a mama. I really hate to interfere.

One way or t’other, we’ll know on the 4th of July.

Comments


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 23, 2021, 6:47 pm

This one:


Comment from Pupster
Time: June 23, 2021, 8:51 pm

Leave her be homewrecker!


Comment from Teej
Time: June 23, 2021, 9:52 pm

Am I a mean follower of this site if I’m rooting for chicks?


Comment from ExpressoBold
Time: June 23, 2021, 10:13 pm

Another one bites the dust:

John David McAfee (September 18, 1945 – June 23, 2021) was a British-American computer programmer and businessman. On June 23, 2021, McAfee was found dead by apparent suicide in his prison cell.


Comment from BJM
Time: June 23, 2021, 10:37 pm

@Expresso Bold…whoa!


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: June 23, 2021, 11:41 pm

He probably knew Jeffery Epstein too.
And didn’t pay his taxes!

Well, now he’ll miss the chance to be counted among Americans first striked by Fearless Joe’s nukes.

Kinda weird that he’d kill himself for tax evasion.


Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 23, 2021, 11:57 pm

Everyone needs to try to go out and brave the world on their own while they are young. It’s an important rite of passage. She’ll come home to you when she’s ready.


Comment from OldFert
Time: June 24, 2021, 12:32 am

So what did McAfee have on Hillary?


Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 24, 2021, 1:40 am

Très chic. Her chicks will be adorable.


Comment from Deborah HH
Time: June 24, 2021, 2:22 am

It’s 9 o’clock, the temperature is 93 degrees, the humidity is 29%, and the wind is 22 mph out of the southwest. It was 104 degrees this afternoon. My herb garden is crispy fried; chives are the only thing still alive. It’s not too late to start all over, but my budget is shot because I kept buying lavender plants. Of those, I’ve lost 4 out of 16, all the same variety. We’ll pick our first tomatoes this weekend.

JavaMan and JavaSon have been building our greenhouse this week (but not today). The rest of the week is supposed to be much cooler so they should finish the greenhouse by this weekend. They’ve also built three raised beds, with one more to go. JavaMan is over-the-moon 🙂

That was me above, commenting about the Hen and future Chicks.


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: June 24, 2021, 11:09 am

@Deborah – we had ONE spectacular lavender plant a couple years ago that made it for 2 years. Since then they’ve been either dead before fall or looking scraggly and rather plain.

But when it comes to killing Sweet Broom, ah, we’re top notch! We’re 1 for 6 on that.

try growing Oregano – it’s more like a weed than an herb, not sure it CAN be killed. And it’s an herb we hardly ever use, of course. If only basil would grow that well.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: June 24, 2021, 1:19 pm

“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours”

If it doesn’t come back, make Uncle Badger dig it out of its hidey-hole.

You can subtly point out to him in no uncertain terms that the entire raison d’être for Badgers is to dig things out of holes, especially chickens, and particularly especially his loving wife’s chickens.

Besides, she’s such a beauty, it’s a shame not to have her out where everyone can admire her as she deserves.


Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 24, 2021, 2:46 pm

@durnedyankee—The basil has produced enough for the whole neighborhhod, but it’s in a large clay pot sitting on the patio. The other herbs were in a “gutter planter” attached to the porch railing, and less protected. I also think it was not enough dirt. So too much heat and sun, too much wind beating on them and not enough moist soil despite daily watering. We bought grow bags from Amazon, which has worked out well for the rest of the plants and we can move them under the porch when it hails (which it has done four times).


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 24, 2021, 7:42 pm

McAfee said last year he absolutely, positively would not commit suicide, so if he died in prison, it was murder. He even got a tattoo to commemorate.


Comment from Mark Matis
Time: June 24, 2021, 7:57 pm

I have no doubt we can trust what Our Betters declare about McAfee’s death. Just like everything else they spout!!!

Write a comment

(as if I cared)

(yeah. I'm going to write)

(oooo! you have a website?)


Beware: more than one link in a comment is apt to earn you a trip to the spam filter, where you will remain -- cold, frightened and alone -- until I remember to clean the trap. But, hey, without Akismet, we'd be up to our asses in...well, ass porn, mostly.


<< carry me back to ol' virginny