In happier times

Here's a Hipstamatic photo of Bob and Marmalade from my recent personal archives. I need to take some new chicken AND garden photos this weekend. Last weekend, I was so busy beating back the inroads the jungle (read: native roses, grapevines and tomato plants) made while we were on vacation (a job made more difficult by having a new-to-us-large dog who was in deep adjustment mode) that I didn't actually take any photos.

Here's a quick Coco update: She's still broody. It's been more than two weeks since we gave up with the dunking and the shutting out of the hen house and just let her sit on that darn, eggless nest. Which means little Bob's been having a nice, terror-free, vacation.

I saw Coco out one afternoon, and my chicken sitter saw her out once while we were gone, so (just as the books say), she has been emerging to eat and drink and poop at least once a day. When she wasn't dead when we got home from vacation, I figured as much.

A few nights ago, we made them all sleep out in the coop (it's really secure, and plenty warm enough this time of year). But when I opened the henhouse door in the morning so the ladies could enter when they needed to lay, Coco pretty much broke all land speed records getting back inside and back on her nest. Jeff keeps threatening the stewpot, but I'm going to let her ride it out. Eventually, she'll figure out that no babies are forthcoming.

Since she's sort of captive (by her own choosing), I've started petting her a lot while I try to gently talk some sense into her. She ruffles her feather a bit, but not much. And it might be my imagination, but I swear her feathers are extra silky and luxurious. Weird.

Coco was a good layer when she was laying, so we've only gotten two eggs each day since we've been back (except one day with no eggs). We may have to start supplementing with some storebought eggs. C'est la vie.