If I were a chicken and I had the choice of laying an egg in picky pokey straw or a soft bed of pine shavings, I know what I would choose. But my chickens beg to differ.
Helen (Reddy) has been insistent for several weeks that she be allowed to nest in the hay/straw aisle. And each morning I have to pick her up and insist she go back to the coop. After doing this several mornings,I finally got it through my thick head to place some straw in a nesting box as an experiment.
Clearly Helen wasn't the only girl who thought that was a swell idea. So I made two more.
Even with a choice of three straw nesting boxes, Helen still prefers the hay aisle. And not just in the morning. When the girls are allowed their free range time and i return to round everyone up, I often hear a squawking from the barn. Sure enough, she has left the flock, returned to the barn, flown over the barrier to get cozy in the hay/straw and finds herself stranded, or so she thinks.
She was a little perturbed to find herself the star of my Candid Camera video the other day.
And speaking of chickpeas...
A couple of nights ago I made a new recipe that was quick to whip up, tasty, and easily made vegan.
They certainly are funny creatures these chickens. Out of my two new babies (22 weeks old now) only Vera will go up to bed in the nest box. Agnes stays on the coop floor on her own. Rather strange as I thought she would miss her sister and want to be with her. I have tried putting her up in the box and she runs straight down again. On Tuesday she laid her very first perfect brown egg ... on the coop floor!!! I don't know if she will go to bed as the chilly nights draw in. Their bed is full of nice clean straw, but oh no, Aggie prefers the floor. Your chickpea stew looks very tempting. We have sometimes gone out to the local pub and I always love the chickpea and spinach curry that they do there. Not been brave enough to try it myself (not much of a cook I am afraid) but perhaps I will one day.
ReplyDeleteGosh, Agnes is goofy! I don't think I've ever had a hen roost on the floor -- I guess I thought they thought it was too scary. Can you send a photo of the girls to my email?
DeleteHi Janet. Unfortunately I cannot send a photo of my babies. My phone does not do email and I have now been made redundant from work, so no work email either. I have an idea though. I'll check with Steve and see if he can email you some photo's. Could you please let me have your email again - all my contact details are at work and I have no access now.
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