2pm, the rain let up. I went over to check on the girls. As soon as they saw me they all started clucking softly.
To talk about them, I’ll have to give them names since the only one I remember is Elizabeth:
1 Lizbeth (in charge)
2 Lefty (dark almost black)
3 Lucy (smallest red)
4 LowRedda1 (big red)
5 LowRedda2 (mid red)
6 Lava1 (lavender missing throat feathers)
7 Lava2 (lavender all good)
8 Laura (tbd)
9 Luella (tbd)
I went into the coop to make friends with the girls. Found a small blueish egg next to the feed can. Grabbed a few meal worms. Lizbeth took her rightful place front and center and got her treats first. Lava1 stood a respectful half length behind and got a couple bites. The others kept their distance.
Checked the nests. Lucy was hunkered down on two eggs.
She seemed determined to hatch them. I scooched her off the eggs and took them. She was good about not pecking, but was most verbal about her displeasure with me. She wouldn’t stop. I felt so bad I let the girls out for a little grazing. It worked, Lucy quieted down.
All went well for the first 5 minutes, then they all decided to go scratch in the dreaded “foot stabbing nail pit”. Thought they’d eventually migrate out of there. No such luck. Tried luring them with meal worms, then cracked corn. They each took a bite then strutted right back to the “pit”. After about 10 minutes I gingerly herded them back to the coop. They all trotted right in. Easy Peasy.
Lucy ran right to her nesting box, remembered the missing eggs and resumed berating me at the top of her voice. Gave up, went home.
Got 3 eggs total today.
~David