Hen is her name, and she's such a hard case wee madam!
I have found a 'nest' of eggs, 10 in all, behind some wood in the carport and on a piece of brush wood fencing.
I put the tray of a small child sized wooden wheelbarrow in the same spot with some hay in it. She obviously didn't think much of it. It's been sat in but not used. Maybe the view isn't to her liking or the plain fact I KNOW all about it now.... eh eh eh
I have found her eggs in Sandys nesting box and I added the lawn mower catcher with some wood shavings in it, just for an extra option.
The other day, I went out and opened the garage door to find Hen on the other side, she'd been in there all day!
Today I went out to feed the chooks, opened the garage door and Hen shot like a rocket with a mission, into the nasty shed attached to the side of the garage. I watched her ducking and seeking into one particular corner so I figured I'd feed the chooks and come back to see what she was up to...... she was parked up on a pile of leaves blown in through the gaps and under her were 4 eggs. I took her straight out and parked her in the wheelbarrow tray, she legged it straight back to the garage. I beat her to it and shut the door. It was a photo finish and I did have to cheat by putting my hand down in her way. I went and collected the eggs and came out to find Hen gone and an egg on the floor of the carport. She must have been crossing her legs for that ideal spot to become available again.
Determination!!!!!
I wait, in equal determination, to see where her NEXT ideal spot will be! I have given her three options and she constantly chooses her own LOL.
I'm not going to get my knickers in a wodge over it. She's happy trying to outfox me. She'll run out of hidey holes eventually..... one day...... hopefully. LOL
at least Yakut ... makes the day interesing , stimulates the brain cells , and all ends up good anyway as you find her eggs sounds like a hard case hen alright
5 retired Greyhounds ( Bridgette , Lilly, GoGo,Sam and now Lenny) 15 friendly sheep all of whom are named and come when you call them , 2 goats, Mollie and Eee Bee :
Olive trees , .. old bugger doing the best he can with no money or land
I was just so gobsmacked, she was SO determined!!! She is a hard case, she was one of the ones we got from the neighbours who'd got two chicks corralled under her bed, they were adolescents at that stage.
She seems to like hiding her eggs cos once I find them and remove them, she finds somewhere else to lay, maybe it's some sort of natural instinct she has against 'predators'.
That is so funny.
My 11yr old has spent 3 days with one of our hens called "big bird" who is broody and keeps laying clutches of eggs in inappropriate places. He has made her several nests in an old rabbit hutch and a box in the barn and carefully movied her and her eggs several times.
She has spent all day today chasing our other hens and sitting on their eggs as soon as they lay.There is now a chicken riot going on with chooks queing up to lay, an exasperated child and a rooster called "Roger" who doesnt know what to do.
Contrary and determined, that about sums them up. I caught Hen back in the garage today, she was parked up in the same spot but as we were heading off out, I decided to leave her be. Sure enough, I checked when we got home and there, in the leaves, was an egg. I guess, if I can't accommodate her nesting tastes, I'll just let her lay where she has chosen, at least I know where she's laying now. Ruddy ratbag.
I've seen hens lining up to use the gap between two bales of hay at my friends parents farm. There were two already parked up in a space only big enough for one and a line had formed, waiting for their turn. Both hens in the nest were bitching at each other and trying to squeeze in together. Hard case, there were plenty of other nesting places around, including the nesting boxes but this one must have been prime real estate in their opinion cos they all seemed willing to cross their legs and wait. LOL
It seems, once a chook has made up her tiny mind, it becomes set in concrete and nothing short of locking her up will stop her from achieving her goal.
Hen has decided that this pile of dry leaves in the nasty dark, drafty, cobwebby shed is THE place to be.
Has anyone ever figured out how a chicken thinks and why she comes to these conclusions? It is even possible to decipher the reasons why? I'm blowed if I know.
PS, if Roger knows what's good for him, he'll keep right out of the way and not get involved or he may wind up in the middle of it wondering why he ever bothered to peck his way out of his shell.
at least Yakut ... makes the day interesing 