Our Fingers Are Crossed

We have been waiting for quite some time for our Rhode Island Red hens to hatch some new chicks for us. Each spring we get excited because when we go out to gather eggs we will find a hen sitting on her eggs. Unfortunately, she would lose interest after about a week and we were left with rotten eggs. Brandon and Bryce always love this though. I mean what could be more fun than throwing rotten eggs??? They must throw them way out in the back pasture...Mom's rule!! We have hatched a few eggs on our own with an incubator but we must raise them until they are almost grown before we can put them in with the adult hens. If we put them in too soon the other hens will peck them to death. So, having a momma hen hatch her own chicks is the easiest way to raise a new batch.

This spring our hopes are high once again. We have a bantam hen sitting on a nest and she has been there for over two weeks now!!! Isn't she beautiful? I have tried to get some eggs in the nest next to her and she is NOT happy about me being near her nest. We decided to put a few Bantam hens in with our Reds because they are better "sitting hens". Our newly hatched chicks may not be full-blooded Rhode Island Reds but that is okay, we just want fresh eggs for eating!! Looks like our plan may be working!!!This hen is really in the mothering mood! She keeps stealing eggs in the other nests and hoarding them. She has so many eggs that she can't cover them all!
And the greatest and most interesting thing has happened. The "sitting fever" has caught on! Just look! We now have 3 hens that are serious about sitting....so far. The Rhode Island Red on the far left flew off shortly after I took this picture. She only had two eggs under her which I promptly removed before Mrs. Greedy took them!

According to my recordkeeping we should have some chicks hatching next week from the light colored hen. She was the first to start sitting. Hopefully, the other two will stay put until their eggs hatch too! In the meantime, we are rationing our egg eating. Once you get accustomed to fresh farm eggs the grocery store eggs are just not good, even the expensive, free-range ones. And who knows, if all these eggs hatch we may be in the egg selling business again!