Princess Laya Is A Mother Again

"Peep,peep,peep."

It was so faint, at first I thought it was distant birdsong from the surrounding PFHQ forest, but it was a little too "peepy".

I bent down next to the tall swivel patio chair that Princess Laya (best hen everrrr!) had chosen for her nest.

She ruffled her feathers a little and let out a long worried, warning cluck, but I could tell her "nest" was the peep source. It seemed as if Laya had done it again. This will be her third clutch of hatchlings.

Later there was a cast off egg shell to prove it.

Then in the afternoon, there was a chick on the porch floor next to the chair. Junior found it and placed it back on the chair nest, next to Laya.

It quickly tried to resnuggle.


After a little trial and error, he found the door and vanished beneath Laya's protective plumage.

I'm not sure Laya thought ahead about the "wood duckling like" drop to the porch floor when she chose this tall chair for a nest. Chickens are not known for planning ahead.

I have a large snake/raccoon/opossum/skunk/fox/loch ness monster proof pen that I will try and talk her into using as a nursery. She'll have to give up her free ranging for awhile,but I can't see bringing her chicks inside like we did with the LOTR chicks she produced last year.

Can't you see that?
Two Lab pups and a brood of chicks sharing the same small house which is in a total state of disarray (even more than usual) due to the summer remodeling job.
Currently, the living room is off limits due to painting, the hallways are jammed with living room stuff, as is the kitchen.

You don't walk through our house presently ... you weave your way through it.

And don't go off the trail ... you may never be found.