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| No, not Thelma |
As I went to feed Thelma and Lucy, I stopped to look in the pen for Thelma. She was on the nest. I bent forward and she turned her head away as if to say, "Don't bother me; I am concentrating."
There was an egg under her chest, so I slipped my hand slowly into the nest to get it. As I touched the egg, Thelma stood up. I stood still, waiting for what I wanted to see again. She dropped an egg onto the pine straw. I picked up a very wet egg and thanked her. She flapped her wings in my face as she jumped down for broccoli and carrots and the last of salad greens.
I suppose it is silly to get all excited about seeing a hen lay an egg, but this is only the third or fourth time in four years that I have been there at just the right time.
Now, I am not getting too many comments, considering the hundreds of people who read my blog every day. This is a question that everyone can answer. I need some strokes in the form of a comment or a dozen in the form of a "yes" or "no." Pretty Please, even if you came over from a prepper site.
Your turn
Have you ever seen a chicken stand and lay an egg? I read that was how it happened, but I usually get there too late and the hen had exited the nest. Or, the hen was just broody and sitting on one or more eggs. If you have seen the egg drop from a hen, do you still have a sense of wonder?
Nope I've never see it - but it must have been very cool!
ReplyDeleteManuela,
DeleteIt is cool. Do you have hens? Thanks for the comment. I was getting lonely and paranoid.
Nope, never seen an egg laid.
ReplyDeleteWendy,
DeleteI would have thought that you would be the reader who had seen this. I suppose you are not hanging out at the hens' place all the time...lol. Do you think your children have?
Your comment form went nuts on me for a second. I've never even slid my hand under a chicken, but I birthed some raccoons once. We are rare breeds ourselves, and the fact you're not getting comments is proof of it.
ReplyDeletelotta joy,
DeleteMy site goes nutso on me, too. Have you ever gotten an egg from a nest? I don't know how you got than near to a raccoon to even do anything. The raccoons around here would have eaten you. But, you get comments! Am I a different kind of rare than you?
No, I have never seen a chicken lay an egg but I would really like that! Don't have chickens right now but it is a possibility in the near future. I love reading your blog but I don't post much since I am not techno savvy at all about such things. Last time I tried nothing ever showed up but I thought I'd give it another whirl...
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteI love that you love reading my blog. Please comment more often. See? I will beg!
I cannot imagine why your comment did not show up. Sorry.
It seems the egg would break as it falls out, but it sort of bounces. Of course, there is plastic and pinestraw to cushion the fall. The egg is wet when I get it out if I see it laid. It dries very quickly.
Maybe none of your comments will disappear again. If you know what you said and where, comment and I will see it in my email where I moderate all comments.
Hi Linda, this is my third attempt to reply to your reply and I think I might have figured out the problem..lol. The comment form goes nutso as the previous poster mentioned and freezes up sometimes, but the real problem comes when I try to post with my google acct. I think it will work if I stick with anonymous...Leslie
DeleteNope! I've never seen it happen.
ReplyDeleteYears ago my (then) husband and I were able to find a child's playhouse that was being given away. It was perfect as a hen house. Nest boxes, perches and fencing were quickly built. We had fresh eggs for several years.
A child's playhouse or castle or fort, whatever I can find, is my goal. Thanks for reminding me. I need to advertise. it is too bad you never saw the hen lay and egg. I just don't eat eggs if I cannot have my fresh ones. I know you enjoyed the eggs as I do.
DeleteYes, Linda, I have been there at the magic moment. But then, I had over a hundred chickens, and the chances were pretty good. But I still felt that sense of wonder, just as you did. It was the same when we started with chickens, and got our first egg. It was so precious, I was just squealing with happiness.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteOh, my first egg! I was ecstatic, just like you, squealing, running to tell someone, anyone. It is a magic moment when I see the egg laid.
oh I don't know - I think Thelma is pretty wondrous too ! I know what you mean about the comments, I think it's because people just dont have time really, I'm happy knowing that my 'page views' are going up really well, so I know I'm not talking to myself. And as a new follower of mine said only yesterday, even a small impact is better than none - don't you agree, ? I also think if you comment on other peoples blogs, they tend to do the same, and hey, you aren't doing so bad for followers are you ? I just hit 45 today.
ReplyDeleteWean,
ReplyDeleteYes, Thelma is a pretty hen and faithful layer, the last of my original four hens. I comment on other people's blogs all the time, but not to draw people in. I have no idea how many followers anyone has because of something wrong with my blog. I don't even know how many followers I have. Maybe you can tell me? I will come back and look for an answer.
I love it when that happens! I've been there at the right time a few times and it's so neat. One day I was feeding and watering and heard one hen make some different sounds and instinctively knew what it was about and sure enough, watched and saw the egg coming out. But then I also liked to be there when the baby goats were born and enjoyed home birth LOL
ReplyDeletePatti,
DeleteI don't think she made a different sound, but I will have to be more aware if I see a hen about to lay. I have seen my cat give birth, but I have not seen any other animal give birth. Mama and Daddy shooed us kids away when our dogs gave birth.
lotta joy,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I just now saw your comment.
Yes, I've seen hens stand to lay eggs...and they are very quiet, concentrating on the moment.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteI would be concentrating if I were standing to lay an egg. I don't remember a particular sound. It is funny how they sit until the last moment, stand, and it just falls out.