Each hen was in a separate box, sitting on her own clutch of eggs. There are other boxes for the other hens to lay eggs in, too.
I haven’t been finding eggs in the other nests lately, and I suspect there’s a snake in the henhouse somewhere (again).
Suddenly, both hens are on the same nest. Nothing but feathers are left in the box the usurper once occupied.
Who’s setting the eggs today?
No eggs in the vacated nest.
I checked underneath both hens.
No eggs under the usurper, who sat in front.
4 eggs under the hen toward the back. That was yesterday evening.
This morning, both hens are still on the same nest.
I checked underneath again.
4 eggs under the usurper.
None under the hen in the back.
What is going on here?
Is one hen kidnapping the other hen’s eggs? Does she give them back the next day?
I’ll have to keep checking. This is social activity I didn’t know about and am still learning, apparently.
About Wild Ozark
Wild Ozark is a nature farm. Mostly we grow rocks. I use those rocks and some of the herbs to make earth pigments and watercolor paints. We also grow native clay that I use for paint and various other things. And then there are the trees. We grow lots of trees. My husband uses some for his woodworking and some for our Burnt Kettle Shagbark Hickory Syrup, but for the most part they stand around creating good air, shade, & habitat for the ginseng nursery.
Follow me on Instagram to keep up with paints, art, and random nature pictures I make in real time.
My art and paints are available on Etsy! But if you're interested in owning a Madison Woods original, follow me on Instagram or FB because sometimes they go out the door as soon as I make the final post to say they're done.
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About the voice behind this blog, Madison Woods
I'm a creative old soul living way off the beaten path with my husband in the wild Ozark Mountains. You can find my art on display and for sale at the Kingston Square Arts shop in Kingston, Arkansas. It's a tiny little town and a bit off the path to anywhere at all, but a wonderful ride out to a most beautiful part of our state. Besides homesteading, growing plants & making arts & crafty things, I write books and stories. My rural fantasy fiction, written under the pen name, Ima Erthwitch, usually takes place in a much altered Ozarks.
Madison Woods is a Nature Artist & Fantasy Author living in the wild Ozark hills of northwest Arkansas. She uses native rocks, clay, and botanicals to create works of art to capture the magic of nature. Her writing reflects her love of adventure in the rural outback.
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