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Friday, September 20, 2013

Where, oh, where, can my little banty be?

There she...used to be!



I am impressed.  The little dickens JUST started laying - and she's already made herself a dandy little nest and got busy.  And broody.  I had the worst time finding her - I looked all over and discovered her in the rhubarb bed, hunkered down over her not-so-little stash.  Unfortunately, we are not wanting baby banties now (or ever), so she was unceremoniously hauled off the nest and put in for the night.  I put a feeding tub over it and will spirit them off when she's not looking.

13 comments:

Tyche's Minder said...

Whoa, she's not wasting any time.

Sue said...

Some chicks are just SO cut out for motherhood!
LOL!

Mama Pea said...

Yep, banties are like that! But when you don't want her raising a little brood out in the cold, frosty air (underneath a rhubarb leaf!), you have to be smarter than she is! (Which I know sometimes proves to be a challenge on our little homestead!)

Susan said...

TM - I know! Precocious, isn't she?

Susan said...

Sue - It's either that, or it's a good excuse to stay away from the dreaded banty rooster!

Susan said...

Mama Pea - Since this is my first experience with banties, is this what I have in store? There are hundreds of hidey holes out there! Good grief, what have I gotten myself into?

Kelly said...

My little banties have hatched out tons of babies... I sell them for a dollar each. I really don't have room to keep all of them. They are very reproductive little critters. I've thought I lost a few from them hiding their nest and sitting. I mourned them and everything and then bam there they are, sitting on eggs LOL!

Susan said...

Kelly - That's a great idea for next year. They are so small, and so adept at blending in with the flora, that it's easy to miss them! Stinkers.

Candy C. said...

Silly little hen! Kelly does have a good idea! :)

Carolyn said...

Wow. At least you found her and not some other hungry critter because chicken and eggs for supper would be a great meal for some wandering chicken-muncher.

Susan said...

Candy - I really think half of this hidden nest thing is to avoid the banty roo. He is small and obnoxious.

Susan said...

Carolyn - That's the truth! She would have been a tasty morsel.

Leigh said...

At least you found them! I've heard that Bantams make excellent mothers and that some folks use them to hatch standard size chickens. The mismatch between mom and chicks conjures up some amusing images. :)