[hillfooter]

Ok so the little Orloff bantams are on walkabout after learning that the botton strand of the net isn't electrified and putting their heads under it and lifting they are able to limbo out.

A few weeks ago this proved to be Alexandras undoing as she ended up a pile of feathers under the hedge.  However now her daughter Anastasia has disappeared too.  She didn't appear at the conservatory door on Saturday and there was no sign of her at roost time or on Sunday morning either so we feared the worst.

After lunch time on Sunday Carole came in to say, "There's someone at the door to see you."  Thinking someone from the farm next door or a motorist had found a pile of white feathers squashed on the lane I went apprehensively to the door only to be greeted by a little bantam hen noisily demanding her daily handful of corn and layers pellets.   From her behaviour, puffed out wings and headdown dance, it was obviously she was broody and sitting somewhere in the garden.  She was too canny too go immediately back and pecked arround the borders for a while with the others until I got distracted and dropped my vigilance and then she disappeared again.  

I was concerned she would end up as a fox meal like her mother but despite what I thought was a thorough search in the surrounding area of the garden, there was no sign of her.  3 further searches that day failed to locate her hiding place.  

Today she again appeared for her corn and this time I didn't make my interest in her movements obvious but kept her under surveilance.  She went round the front of the house and disappeared under an overhanging climbing rose which grows up besides a window.  She had wedged herself into a tight corner against the house wall and was all but invisible with her mottled splash markings looking just like spots of sunlight shining through the bush.

I'm now going to set her up a broody coop inside a protecting net where hopefully she can hatch the eggs shes's sitting on in safety.  I'll try to get a photo!
HF

[joyfull]

photo would be wonderful, after having mine sat in the local field and down the side of the beck I know too well how crafty these little broodies can be 

[hillfooter]

photo would be wonderful, after having mine sat in the local field and down the side of the beck I know too well how crafty these little broodies can be 

Your wish is my command! It's a bit tricky poking the camera through the rose bush and clematis but here she is.




HF

[jinty1911]

Awww so sweet.  When mine are broody and kicked out of the house, they don't care were they sit and don't try to hide but then they don't have any eggs to sit on.  They both came out of house themselves this morning so am thinking this episode is nearly over for now. 

[New shoot]

She's built herself a nice little nest there 

[ManicMum]

Makes you realise why nature gives them the spangles - in a field they stand out, in a bush they disappear.  Lovely photo - good luck to her!

[hillfooter]

Well I lifted her this evening to much squawking and a few feeble pecks to find she had dug a fairly deep depression beneath her which was filled with eggs.  18 to be precise and she was obviously not able to cover so many as the layer beneath the top was cold.  Anyway She's now just got 7 which she can barely cover so we'll just have to see how she gets on.  She must have been building the clutch for over 3 weeks to have amassed so many.  I hope she manages to raise at least 4 or so anyway I've got my fingers crossed.

Here's a photo of her with her mother Alexandra and two brothers (one a Vorwerk) taken not a year ago.  If she does as well as Alexandra she'll be a good mother.




HF

[joyfull]

lovely photo HF 

[Chickway]

What beautiful photos.  She is a pretty girl. xxxx

[Oliveview]

What a clever girl, good luck

[LittleRedHen]

A friend once told me that never underestimate a hen.  Hens are very wise in their own world and will trick you every time!  Your hen is living proof!

[hillfooter]

Well I've been putting off going out and disturbing Anastasia but today is her 15th day of sitting and couldn't really leave it much longer.  I had been meaning to candle her eggs for about 5 or 6 nights now but just haven't managed to summon up the will power to search out my candler and make the cold trip up to the top of the garden.  Anyway tonight I dragged myself away from the TV and wrapped up warm with torch in hand I trapsed out.  She has been sitting tightly and the eggs were nice and warm as I bravely ignored her feeble pecks and bad tempered squawks and pulled the seven eggs from beneath her. 

I expected a few duds as she hadn't appeared to sit very tightly for a couple of days objecting to the nest site I had selected for her, so I was surprised and delieghted when I found that all seven were fertile and had developed well. 

Had I remembered my camera I'd have posted a few photos but that didn't happen so you'll have to wait for a few more days and I'll try and capture some first shots of her brood.  Fingers crossed

HF

[joyfull]

yeh so not long now till we get to see Anastasias new brood 

[Lindeggs]

Uh-oh!  You're going to have to re-read all your Russian history books to come up with names for seven little tsars/tsaritsas.

[ANHBUC]

What no pictures of the proud dad, you will have the equal rights mob after you!