19 April 2019

Broody or not?

Cookie as a young pullet (the black one next to the fence), Sep 2016
For two years running, our little Pekin bantam hen Cookie has gone broody in spring and again in midsummer.  Prior to broodiness, she'd laid about 30 eggs.  This year, her timing is off.  She began laying last November, took a break, then starting again in late December and has been going ever since.  She's not laying every day, but her tally is up to about 70 now.

I've seen her sitting on her secret nest (under the coop, where at least three other chickens lay eggs too), carefully tucking the other eggs under while she does her business.  But then she's up and off for the rest of the day.  Has she decided she's finished raising chicks?  Will we just get eggs off of her from now?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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