The Chicken Chronicles 9.30.22

 Shortly after Bandit left, Beau went broody. It lasted for several weeks, but she finally re-entered society.

Seven Happy Hens!

I went outside to bring the hens treats and I was holding a peanut butter

sandwich in my hand. When I bent down and the sandwich was within reach,

Blue took it right out of my hand. Then she ran.

Then in the early fall, Waffles went broody.

I took advantage of the situation and got a pic with her.

She's usually so fast that it was the first time I could actually get my hands on her.

Egg production dropped off significantly at the end of the summer,

so I suspected the hens had a secret clutch somewhere.

I found one in September when I was picking blackberries:

there were several eggs laid under the giant bush.

Ben cut the bush all the way back so the hens wouldn't want to

lay there anymore.

Unfortunately, egg production stayed low and Jack had to tell his

customer that he won't be able to bring him eggs anymore. So there's

more going on than just a hidden clutch (unless there's another one

somewhere in the yard). Ben suspects the hens stopped laying because

there isn't a rooster around anymore. It's possible the cold weather is to blame,

but production started dropping off before the temperatures did.

It's a mystery.