Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Irresistible force meets immovable object

Occasionally the senior under-gardeners share a nest to lay their eggs, they sit cosily and quietly without making a fuss. The introduction of The Spice Girls into our small flock has resulted in what can only be described at all out nest-wars . . .

It's obvious something's afoot when Saffron puffs herself up and struts back and forth, this is accompanied by very loud regular clucks.


When I enquire "what's up" she indicates that the problem is "up there!"


And she's right – the preferred and only nest any of the hens will lay eggs in, is occupied by a growling sphere of feathers (aka Nutmeg).


But, nothings going to stop Saffron now her mind is made up . . .


It's best to just leave them to fight it out!

14 comments:

  1. Just the title made me laugh! I love your chicken posts Celia, they are always very entertaining!! (great photos too) ah they are funny little beings - ours do this too and woe betide anyone who wants to lay while Fluffy is in there - even if they tried they couldn't fit in. The spice girls are such gorgeous colours.

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  2. Oh they are funny old ladies...my two pairs are still fighting it out a little and according to one girl I'm fair game too...
    Such a funny post

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  3. My four have one large nest box between them. It fits 3 if they want to snuggle in. However, yesterday on my early clean-up,for the first time I found a couple of eggs in the nest and one in the coop - in a queueing up position! Someone got caught short!

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  4. Oh dear! I hope they sorted it out!

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  5. the business of spring! territory & chicks!

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  6. oh this is what I love about coming here. You have single-handedly warmed my cockles today. Bless your nutmeg-saffron lovin' heart!

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  7. My husband spends half his days searching out where our bantams are hiding their eggs. Then he leaves one, so that she'll come back. A cock pheasant has been disporting himself among them recently - the Sage is rather hoping for some 'phantams' - but I think they'll be infertile.

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  8. As with Gina's rhubarb post I've peeped at this twice, enjoyed it enormously and then been called away by the tots. Fabulous chicken magic here - how did it end?

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  9. Very funny post, great photos and beautiful chickens!

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  10. Chicken behaviour is so fascinating. They seem to need their privacy when laying an egg. Understandable.

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  11. Oooh - keeping chickens is a dream of mine. One day I hope it will come true. Thanks for sharing your chickies!

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  12. it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "free range".

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  13. Still dreaming of keeping chickens but have some bees arriving at the weekend.

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  14. I know this one well! Our hens have a face-off sometimes too x

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