Friday, November 13, 2009

My Black Hen

Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs, for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day,
To see what my black hen does lay,
Sometimes nine and sometimes ten,
Hickety, pickety, my black hen.

I'm thankful we have our chickens!

I love old nursery rhyme and fairy tale books. I used to always ask for fairy tale books for my birthdays and I especially loved the ones with beautiful illustrations by Parrish or Rackham.

I haven't seen nine or ten eggs for quite a while. Last year the hens adjusted to the weather and light change and did quite well laying through the winter. Don't know how they are going to do this year.


My brother and Sandy had chickens when we moved here. Kristine is the one who wanted to get chicks and she researched and found the heritage chickens she thought would be best for this local. She recently found another breed (Delaware) she and I like that would do well here. I like that they are prolific egg layers and are docile and calm. They are also supposed to be rare, so I don't know how hard it will be to find some chicks. We don't need anymore chickens now, but when the time is right we will be getting some Delaware hens. At least we will try to find them.

This silly Light Brahma is in a dither because all the other hens have left the coop and she has had a lapse of memory and can't figure out how to get out. Perhaps it's a visual thing? She watched all the hens run past out the door and she tried to get through the chicken wire to follow them. She finally calmed down and flew down and went around and out the coop door. Maybe molting has made her a little ditzy.

[no eggs today]
Smiles
~:>

5 comments:

RoeH said...

I hadn't heard that nursery rhyme in years. Fun.

lisa said...

I love the rymes. I feel stupid sometimes because I sure don't know very many or who wrote them! I can't wait to get new chickens this next spring! I have my new nest boxes though!

Callie Brady said...

Lucy: I'm having fun looking for poems and rhymes, etc.

lisa: Glad you like the rhymes. No one knows everything. Don't feel stupid. Here is a great site to read books, poems, stories, etc., and find out about authors and other stuff. Have fun!

http://www.readprint.com/

Becky's Barnyard said...

Isn't that funny how they know how to get out but just seem to freak and can't remember anything. Do you think they are not laying good because they need a rooster. I don't really know; I once read on the internet that sometimes hen will not lay as well if a rooster is not around. I wish I could give you one of mine. I have three.

Callie Brady said...

Becky's Barnyard: Maybe when the chicken gets upset it can't think and just reacts? Don't know. We keep talking about getting a rooster. I suppose some hens do lay better when there is a rooster. We'll have to wait and see what happens. If the hens don't start laying after molting, maybe we will get a rooster. Wish we could take one of your roosters. Thanks!