–continued from here—
We continued to wait.
Idee continued to set.
She’d already been broody a good couple of weeks before the hatching eggs arrived. Now that she was on “real” eggs, she seemed more determined than ever to see this through, whatever it was. As the weeks passed, I worried about her. She seemed sometimes to be in a trance-like state, and I knew from previous broody spells that she always lost weight during these times.
I worried I would go into the coop one day and find her dead of dehydration or starvation or some kind of deadly -ation. She never seemed to go out, the water level on the waterer I put beside her never seemed to go down. I couldn’t catch her off those eggs. At least, I thought, this time it’s for a good cause, better than that air she’d been trying to hatch all those times before.
Such dedication. But would it be the end of her? I was afraid to toss her off the eggs to eat and drink for fear she’d stop sitting, and afraid she wouldn’t have the strength to care for the chicks (if there were chicks) when they finally arrived.
I reminded myself she knows what she’s doing more than I do, so I decided to trust her instincts and leave her alone to do her thing. Very probably she was getting off the nest occasionally and I just wasn’t catching her do it. I wasn’t watching 24 hours a day, after all.
On day 16, I was passing the run and happened to glance in and there was Idee, off the nest and gadding about, drinking water, scratching in the dirt, acting like a regular chicken. The others were giving her a hard time as they always do when she’s broody (the pecking order is real, folks), and she was giving as good as she got.
How long had she been out there?
Slightly panicked, I went into the coop and felt the eggs. Cool to the touch! Oh, no! Had it been hours? Had she abandoned them? Were they duds and she knew it? Was she ever going back on the eggs? Was it too late? Was this the end?
Will Ashley accept Lance’s proposal just to make Brandon jealous?
Next time on . . .
All My Chickens.
OH NO! Quick I need the next instalment! I swear if you threw a camera in this Chicken house it would be the most watched thing on the internet.
Oh, the tension! Oh, I’m WORRIED! You must post again like TOMORROW and let us know everything’s okay!!! Or that it’s not… which would be very sad, but then at least I could feel sorry and get over it.
But I hope everything’s okay.
I swear this really DOES feel like a cliffhanger soap opera!
Screaming at the (tv) coop ………”GO BACK IDEE, your babies need you, who cares about what they others think. Peck them back and go back home”
Um and Yes to the coop cam idea. But then again, I would never get anything done.
Oh the suspense!
Ok I am waiting for the chick-cam! This is why I do not watch soap operas…the anxiety! I just can’t stand cliff-hangers.
My little hen would do that when she went broody. Sit for what seemed like forever. I’ve always put a small dish with feed in it along with a small waterer near her when she was setting. Then, every so often, she’d let out a loud screech and hop off her eggs to go scratch around, eat, poo, and drink water. After getting a few minutes of exercise, she’d hop back up on those eggs to sink deep into her trance again. That little gal passed away, along with the rest of my old flock (all from old age) and now I have a new group that are just about 5 months old. Black Austrolorps.
I’ve loved reading your take on “As The Coop Churns”. Keep ’em coming.
Debbie…(O:
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Love this story! Hope it has a happy ending. We just had our own soap opera, Layers of Our Lives, that didn’t work out so well. Have you heard of a good way to prep a nest to successful brooding?
Ooh my, you’ve got me Crackin Up over here !!
Eggstra! Eggstra! Read all about it in the next sEGGment of All my Chickens…
All–I’ve told Idee all about the interest in her situation and she simply stared. It may have been a look of astonishment, or possibly ennui, I have a lot of trouble reading her. I may be able to sneak a camera in there for small segments of time, unless the ladies squawk about it. whit, the only thing I’ve heard about that prompts brooding is leaving eggs in the nest. There may be other things you can do. Sarah, I hope this tale lives up to your eggspectations.
I bought your book the other day and when it arrived I immediately sat down and read it cover to cover. It’s awesome! I laughed so many times I think I was driving my husband crazy. Then I noticed you had a blog. Well, I hopped over and I want you to know, this is the best blog EVER! I don’t watch the “soaps”, but the chicken cam I would definitely be watchin’. We got our first chicks last year and it has been wonderful. We had a Black Australorpe go broody and it never occured to me to order eggs to hatch. We were actually wanting a few more chickens. I think I’ll keep this in the back of my mind if one goes broody again. Thanks so much for your website and book. I’ve been inspired. Debating bees or goats next!!! (Already got a pretty large garden.!)
Julia–JULIA! Thank you so much! You’ve made my day, seriously.
Aren’t chickens weird and wonderful? Our ‘lorps have never gone broody, just that Idee. They look at her like she’s lost her mind. I don’t have goats yet myself, but it’s always in the back of my mind. I can say that bees are as fun to watch as chickens. I recommend a hive with an observation window. It is fascinating. xoxo Daisy