Rainy Day Friday

It’s Friday the 13 and here in north central Pennsylvania, it is raining. 

For the Littles, this was their first experience with water falling from the sky.  

Five of the smarter ones high-tailed it back into the coop, but the bulk of them, as you can see, remained in the tunnels, huddling together for the most part.  

They weren’t the only ones.  Pip and Julia alone braved the water pelting mercilessly on their backs while the rest of the older flock followed their fearless leader back inside.  

Meanwhile inside the coop… 

Claire has been sitting on a nest since Wednesday, May 11.  She’s got four eggs under her.  Two are hers, two she ‘acquired’ by unknown means.  

As I no longer believe that breaking a broody is a good idea, we are now on Broody Watch.  

I am apprehensive about this one.  Claire is not mild mannered, like Abby.  When Abby was broody, she let me pet her, feed her by hand and take pictures.  Claire is one of my ‘dragon ladies’ who roar like dragons when they are laying.  She bites if you try to reach in and count/take eggs.  

She’s a ‘witch’ in the nest, in other words.  

I have a few of these ‘dragons ladies.’  All are Rhode Island Reds, so I assume this is a personality/behavioral trait of their breed.  

But even they don’t bite like Claire does.  

So yeah… Broody Watch has begun.  Hatch date, June 1-2.  

As with Abby, I will be taking a ‘hands off approach.’  I won’t be candling, no matter how tempting it is.  I don’t even own a candling light.  And unless she proves to be an unfit momma, I’m leaving the rearing of the babies to her.  

And lastly… some pics of life around the coop.