Watch Out! The Hens Have Gone Broody!

Spring must be getting close.  How do I know?   The hens are getting broody.  That's a sure sign for me! I noticed yesterday that 2 of my hens were in the broody mood and not leaving one of the nest boxes.  I looked under the RIR hen and saw she was setting 5 eggs. 

In my past experience, one hen setting more than that many eggs will most likely not hatch them all.  Especially a maiden hen like this one.  It often happens that a hen will hatch out a couple of the chicks, then lose interest with the other eggs so she can start teaching her babies all about the big, wide world.  So, I decided I needed to get out a pencil and mark the eggs with an "X". That way I can remove any additional eggs each day and I'll know which ones to leave for her to hatch.  The other hens will lay their eggs in her box and let her try to hatch them all out for them!  

Yesterday, there were 5 eggs (remember?).  Today, there were only 4 eggs.  One of them got stomped on last night by the hens (see the yolk on this egg above?).  So, another reason to start removing eggs from under the hen.  More eggs means more possibility of some getting damaged from the other hens trying to push their way into the nest box to lay.  Hey, it happens!  Anyway....... 
There was still ice on the water trough this morning when I went out early to feed.  Well, actually if I'm being honest, my daughter gave me a break this morning and did the feeding while I slept in (it is Saturday after all and I deserve to sleep in at least one day during the week, right?).  So, when I did finally drag my butt  out to check the animals, I had to break up the ice in the waterers and scoop it out.  I hope this is the last morning we will have ice.  I think the weather is supposed to be warmer now with no threat of a freeze for the next few days.  I have had the break ice on the waterers a lot this winter. 

I told you I would be introducing all of my animals.  Today, I am highlighting another one of our kitties.  Her name is Weep Weep.  When we went to adopt Floofy (see yesterday's post), there was the tiniest, littlest, sweetest kitten that ever lived.  I knew when my BB picked her up and she immediately circled around in his hand and went to sleep (she fit in the palm of one of his hands), that we were adopting 2 kitties that day.  Her name at the time we got her had been Tinkerbell.  Well, as I told you before, we rename all of our animals to fit their personalities as they develop.  So, as time went by, and this little kitten began mewing, the sound came out of her tiny body like "weep, weep".  So, that's why we started calling her Weep Weep.  She did have one bad habit at the beginning though.... God awful smells came out of that little body.  I didn't know cats farted, but man oh man, this little kitty could blow some stinky ones!  That passed over time though (HA, did you catch that?  passed.....?)  I know what you're thinking.... "Man, this lady is weird".  I'm not denying that.  Well, maybe I am.  But whatever, I am who I am. 

She is a bobtail kitty.  You can't really see in this picture, but she doesn't have a tail...... Just a little tiny one.  This cat is part human I think.  She has the coolest personality of any cat I have ever owned.  And she loves her people so much!  My BB has started calling her a "cuppy"... part cat, part puppy.  She loves following us around, and as soon as you sit down, she is in your lap rubbing her face on your face and then circling around to find that just perfect spot to cuddle in.  If you leave a chair for one minute, you've lost it.  She takes it from you.  She is very mischievous too.  You never know what kind of prize she will bring you.  She has toys all over the house and will bring them to us all the time.  All in all, she is our favorite cat of all time. 

I hope you all are staying with me so far and I'm keeping you entertained.  I'll be back tomorrow! And the next day, and the next day......

P.S. I want to thank my followers so far.  I have such good friends!