Last Saturday, I noticed Shakira was sitting on a nest all day long. Not really wanting any babies at the moment (almost all that are hatched in my yard have turned out to be roosters), I figured I would wait until she got up for a snack and remove the eggs.
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On Sunday, I reached out to rub Shakira's back with the hope she would get up and let me see what was under her. Instead, she pecked the crap out of me. I decided I would give her another day to get over it.
She was still sitting there on Monday. I mustered up my courage and scooped Shakira off the nest. She tried to peck me again, but I tucked her under my arm before she reached skin! Below her were 7 eggs. I didn't have the heart to take them away from her. Last year, I took her eggs and she sat on an empty nest for two weeks.
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Tonight, I decided to check her progress. She wasn't distressed when I lifted her off her nest. Two more eggs had been added to the pile. In two more weeks, we should be welcoming a whole new crew of roosters to the neighborhood.
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Can I interest anyone in a pet rooster? Please?
23 comments:
I'd say mail me one, but the dog would eat it. I can't have that on my conscious. :)
She's gonna be a momma! Jenny!!
(obligatory Forrest Gump reference)
You are such a softie!! I would love a rooster pet but....I think my neighbors would complain! :)
This made me smile~ my son and his family have chickens ( more like family pets ) They just make me laugh when I see them.. But the eggs are simply the best!
My Kotadog would love to have a pet rooster to chase around but I dont' think that would be a good idea. I'm sure you will find a good home for the future roosties.
Awww that's sweet. I know, you don't need a fleet of roosters, but still...
They way peoples dogs bark and whine all freakin' day long around here, I'd love to get one just to annoy them in the mornings (when I am awake and they are sleeping heh heh) but I think my area is no longer zoned for chickens. =( I'm afraid Animal Control would come and take it away...
I really think that's pretty cool myself. But many more mouths to feed, lol!
Would getting a chicken be outside the rules of my self-imposed stuff crackdown? Since I never buy anything that's still breathing I certainly do think so. Oh wait, we have coyotes around here and if they managed to get the geese next door I'm pretty sure they'd be knocking on my door to say thank you for the yummy chicken dinner. You know, with all those eggs there's GOT to be at least one girl in there!
Can't help here, no roosters in the city limits I believe! Plus all the wild kitties around here.......!!!!!!
Lovely time yesterday Anna, thanks for lunch. I think Susie did really well. Loved the get- together and seeing her beautiful home and garden.
Is laying an egg akin to constipation? Just mix in a little Metamucil with the feed next time. Of course, then she would probably get the trots and eggs would be squirting out all over the yard. Poor baby....and we thought PMS was tough.
Liz
Pet rooster...would likely get tortured here..my dogs would chase him.
Hugs, andrea
I was touched by your unwillingness to remove Shakira from her nest when she wants so much to hatch this batch of eggs. I'm soft like that, too, despite the likelihood of hatching as many roosters as pullets. I read your post to my husband, who has far more experience raising chickens than I have, and when I got to the part about two more eggs in the nest he said, "Oh, no!" He says that if she is brooding (feathers puffed out and making cluck cluck sounds) then she is not the one laying the additional eggs and that they should be removed. Shakira and her eggs should be put in a cage or pen to keep other hens from laying more eggs in the nest. This is necessary because in 21 days from when Shakira started brooding you will have little chicks and some partially incubated eggs--not fair to those embryos, as Shakira will abandon them to take care of the hatchlings.
I guess you could stick the partially incubated eggs in your bra to keep them warm until time for them to hatch, LOL!
Be sure to post pics...I have never let any of my birds hatch any but I am tempted! Anyone have a rooster I can borrow for a couple of hours!
Are your cochins banties or standards?
Oh wait... they aren't even cochins, are they? Nekkid feet! What ARE your lovely critters?
When I have a broody hen I have to lock her away from the others so they don't keep adding eggs to the nest, or it would be a real mess.
Awww, what a good little mama Shakira is, protecting her babies like that!
You're pretty okay, too. :-)
XO,
Anne
Anna, I have two broody girls too... both are well-behaved though... neither of them peck me! They're both bantams! I've been thinking about getting some eggs for one of them to hatch (one is better at staying put than the other)
oh how I wish I could have one.. if you lived close you could drop off "stray" ones :-) my hubs won't let me have any.. I told him the local feed store had their chickens - he said good - let them stay there :-( I dunno though - after mucking out the goats stall for the spring - IM not sure I could take another animal to clean up after LOL
I really enjoyed checking out your blog and your chickens are sweet. The only ones I have in my yard are made of cement.
Maybe you can ship the hatchlings to my Mom in Ohio, she hasn't got her "peeps" yet. I love baby chicks! When I was a little kid, the local library had a pet show. All the other kids brought dogs and cats, I brought a baby chick. Needless to say we won them over with our talent, he sat on my finger and when I moved my hand up and down he flapped his wittle wings...looked like he was dancing. Yup, we took first place!
I remember my very first freshly laid egg in Germany many years ago. The yolk color was AMAZING and it tasted just delish!
Happy Laying Shakira...
xo
Pam
She's already a good mother..... But you are right....all the roosters................
I have an Etsy shop already a while, I never sold anything, maybe my prizes are to high???? I really dont know how much to ask for the pincushions. I should appreciate, when you have time, that you take a look and maybe you could advice me........ I'll mail you the link
This is my first visit to your blog....I love the title! I also love to laugh....and if I didn't live in the city, I would consider adopting one of your soon to hatch chicks....
So we may have new chicks at the same time! How exciting!
In my experience, roosters are delicious.
~Randy
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