Yesterday the kids noticed that Henrietta spent the day in the nesting box - very unusual for Henrietta. Henrietta is usually right in the middle of everyone's business. She is one of, if not "the" alpha hen. She and April, her wingman, were hatched in my classroom two years ago. So, they do believe that rule the farm and the roost...
So, for Henrietta to by camping out in a nesting box could only mean one thing... she is broody. Being broody means "in the mood" to sit on eggs. This has only happened one other time on our farm. Bessie went broody.
What usually happens is the hen lays an egg then gets settled on it and that's the end of it. They get extremely protective and puff up and peck you or other hens that come near. RT and Bee begged us to let her sit on eggs, so once we consented off they went to talk to our neighbor Chicken Jorge, the man with roosters...
After about ten minutes, back they came with eight hopefully fertilized eggs. I risked my arm to put them under Henrietta. She only pecked me a few times then she seemed good with it. Chickens don't care if they aren't their eggs. They're cool with whatever.
So, if all goes well with Henrietta, she will sit on the eggs for 21 days, only getting off of them every few days to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, and stretch her legs. But, you never know with chickens, she could up and change her mind, come to her senses about motherhood and run for the hills - later, eggs!
Our take is that nature will take it's course, and you don't mess with nature. We are just lucky enough to get a front row seat to a little hen house miracle or eight miracles, if we're lucky!
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