Broody Baldy

Okay.  I'm normally a total procrastinator when it comes to getting eggs in the fridge.  We gather them after quiet time, and it just seems like the rest of the afternoon and evening rush by.  With my eggs sitting patiently on the counter, waiting until morning.

Not yesterday.  Yesterday I was really on top of things.  I cleaned the eggs and put them in the fridge right after I got them.  And I wish I hadn't.

You see.  I discovered this morning that one of my Black Australorps has decided to get broody.

Baldy, sitting on her eggs.

 And if my eggs had still been sitting on my counter, I could have picked out my brown and green eggs (from the Australorps, Partridge Rocks and the Americana) to place under her.  Instead, they were in the fridge.  Rats!

But I was able to place 6 eggs under her today, and I'm hoping to get three more tomorrow.  Right now she is on 2 brown, 1 green and 3 white. 

The white eggs come from my Blue Andalusians.  They are beautiful, hardy birds.  They forage really well.  But I don't like them.  They are a light breed, really flighty and hide their eggs all over.  I want more of my heavy birds.  So hopefully I'll get another green and two more brown eggs tomorrow.  

Either way, I'll leave her on the six she's on at the minimum.  In 21 days (give or take) I should have some more chickens in the coop.  Which is such a blessing.  I'm down to 12 right now (11 hens and a rooster).  Well, 12 hens if you count the one that makes her home in a lilac tree instead of the coop.  No matter how many times we catch her and throw her in the coop at night, she sticks to the tree.  So I let her stay there now.  Some things just aren't worth fighting!

And in case you're wondering about her name...

We had a hawk attack the flock last year, and even though we scared it off before it dined, we thought this bird was a goner.  Her head feathers were all plucked out.  And she was...BALD!  The kids named her Baldy at that point. 

You'll notice that her feathers have grown in quite nicely.  And to be completely honest...I'm not even sure which of these birds is the true Baldy.  But she is the one who went broody last year (when we didn't have a rooster around, so she couldn't hatch any), so I'm guessing.  And we pretty much call all of our  Black Australorps Baldy anyways now.  So it works!

I'm really looking forward to keeping track of Baldy's progress over the next few weeks.  I'll let you know how it turns out!