Hatch this!

Our red hen (Scarlett) decided today that she was going to hatch her just-laid egg. Scarlett has been giving us an egg a day since we got her, missing only a day here and there along the way. After her egg is laid in the nesting box, she usually does what the other hens do-- gets up, looks at the egg for a few seconds, then walks out of the nesting box and flies down to the floor of the coop. Not today, though. For some reason, Scarlett didn't budge from that box, so I can only guess that she wants it to hatch.

She laid her egg this morning, way before noon-time. Both Prissy and Mammy also laid their eggs, in separate nesting boxes, and they were out of the boxes and out of the coop within minutes. Scarlett just sat there. I had errands to do, so I just let her be, figuring that I would get her egg out of the box when I got home. Scarlett had other ideas. She was still in the box when I got back, and when I looked closer at her (to make sure she was okay and still breathing, for goodness sake) she looked at me with those yellow eyes of hers and blinked twice. (Chicken-speak for leave me alone?)

Hens can lay their eggs with or without a rooster, but none of those rooster-less eggs are going to hatch, no matter how long Scarlett sits on it. I tried to tell Scarlett that when I walked into the coop to lock the gate up this evening. The other three hens were on the roosting bar, settled in for the night. Scarlett was still in the nesting box, sitting on her egg. (I'm guessing there's an egg underneath her. I doubt she'd be in there all day long with nothing buy hay under her.)

Before I left the coop, I tried to pet Scarlett's feathers, but she blinked twice at me, tried to peck at my fingers, and clucked three times. Translation: This is my nesting box and my egg, so go away.

And that's just what I did. I left Scarlett right where she was and I locked up the coop. If she's sitting on that egg of hers in the morning, then I will just let her be and see what happens. I wonder if she left the nesting box to eat or drink anything during the day. These chickens have minds of their own-- particularly Scarlett.


The weather has gone from the "Winter of hell" to the "Spring of your dreams," all within a matter of days. Flowers are blooming (white Lily of The Valley, white Iris--- flowers that we didn't even notice last year during all the unpacking and settling in) and the pastures are greening up even more than they were and getting full of wildflower stems that will be bursting out like a blue carpet before too long. The neighbor's horses are prancing in the field across the road... just running from one side to the other-- they must know that winter is over too. I keep reminding myself to keep my promise: I will not complain about the heat. I will not complain about the heat. I am so happy that this past winter is over that I may never again complain about the heat.