The Broody Hens

When I enter the hen house, four heads peer from the nesting boxes. I don't know how long they've been sitting there. It could be hours. It could be days. At this time of year, many hens go broody, and insist on sitting on the nest -- whether there are eggs under her or not. When a hen goes broody, she doesn't lay eggs. She sits. She seldom leaves the nest. She eats little. It's a great weight loss plan... if you're willing to sit on a nest and do nothing for a month. Because a broody hen doesn't lay eggs, chapters have been written on how to break the hen out of the broody cycle. One suggests putting the hen in a cage and hanging the cage from the ceiling. A logical solution would be to put eggs under her and let her hatch chicks. I've never had luck with the latter. I've never tried the former. I, being in low maintenance mode, just let them be. And so when I collect eggs, they squawk in protest. A few ruffle their feathers. Most roar and peck my hand when I reach under them in search of eggs. "I love you too," I growl back at them.