Maybe we'll get some chickens while we're here

@JudyEv (339744)
Rockingham, Australia
January 14, 2023 6:11pm CST
Last night, as soon as we had shut the hens in, we drove ten minutes to a nice restaurant in the middle of nowhere. There is a caravan park there, a restaurant and an airstrip. However, we needed to shut the hens in before we went and, judging on the previous night’s performance, it was pointless going up there before 7pm by which time the hens would hopefully all be in their big pen. There are six younger hens, except that one turned out to be a rooster, and two old hens that are as mad as meat-axes. (Isn't that a quaint saying?) If they see us coming, they take off at a very fast rate. The only solution is to wait till they have gone to bed. The photo shows two other older hens that have gone setty. They are sitting on guinea fowl eggs but I don’t know how many they’ll hatch out. The hen on the left has the most beautiful plumage.
23 people like this
21 responses
DE
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
15 Jan 23
I can just see you and Vince chasing chickens all over the yard and near-fields. Did you get lots of exercise the first time you tried to corral them? Dad used to let hens hatch out turkey eggs as well as their own. It was funny to see the hens leading around young turkeys bigger than the hens were...
4 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Even funnier are hens going off their heads because little ducklings are swimming in their water bowl. We didn't even try to corral them. I went back just before dark and they'd put themselves to bed in the shed.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137257)
• United States
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv Chickens can swim, too. They just don't know they can until something makes them try. Oh, that's cheating! I wanted a story about you outrunning Vince while chasing the poor chooks.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@DaddyEvil I'm a wake-up to your tricks!
1 person likes this
ShannyBananny
@shaggin (72125)
• United States
15 Jan 23
I’ve never heard that term before “mad as meat-axes”. So these chickens are sitting on a different birds eggs am I understanding that right?
3 people like this
ShannyBananny
@shaggin (72125)
• United States
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv that is so odd. Why aren’t the Guinea hens on them instead?
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@shaggin The guinea hens are not good mothers. They roost high in the trees, the chicks can't follow (not when they're tiny) and the babies get cold and die or foxes/cats get them.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Marlina's l link says it's primarily an Australian saying. And yes, you're right. The hens are sitting on guinea fowl eggs.
1 person likes this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (106068)
• Marion, Ohio
15 Jan 23
They are both pretty. Hope you get to see the babies before you leave
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
I can't see it happening really as the guinea fowl are still laying with the hens. Possibly the older ones might hatch out.
1 person likes this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (106068)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv Guinea take 28 days. So depending on how long ago the girls started tending the eggs they could
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@wolfgirl569 I hope they don't although there is a small yard and all the stuff needed to put a hen and chicks separate from the rest.
1 person likes this
Lenore Plassman
@sallypup (61054)
• Centralia, Washington
15 Jan 23
Those are two lovely Henney Pennys. I loved talking to the hens when we had some.
2 people like this
Lenore Plassman
@sallypup (61054)
• Centralia, Washington
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv I used to call to the hens and they would follow me, just like a cat or a dog.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Vince talks very good chookese but he hasn't managaged to get through to the mad ones! lol
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@sallypup The ones at the previous place all followed Vince without any trouble.
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
15 Jan 23
They are beautiful hens, especially the white one. She really stands out.
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Some breeds really do have beautiful plumage.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv They really do.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (178225)
• United States
15 Jan 23
Mad as meat axes is a new one on me! I can imagine you and Vince chasing chickens.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
We're a bit old for that. We left them to it and once it was dark they put themselves to bed and we just shut the gate.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@LindaOHio It is but you just have to time it right.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (178225)
• United States
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv That's very convenient!
1 person likes this
rsa101
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
16 Jan 23
Are those two hens? Looks like they are ready to get feisty with you looking at their eggs But they sure look very healthy ones as they looked a bit fat.
1 person likes this
rsa101
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv Yeah looks like they are fertilized eggs as they are protective of their eggs there.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
They are fluffed out to try to cover their eggs. And they don't like you getting too close or trying to touch their eggs.
1 person likes this
BarBaraPrz
@BarBaraPrz (47292)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
15 Jan 23
They're both beautiful.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
They are. I should try to get a close-up photo of one of the brown feathers. It's really intricate.
1 person likes this
marguicha
@marguicha (222895)
• Chile
15 Jan 23
For how long will you sit that house?
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
We are here ten days. We leave next Sunday.
much2say
@much2say (55591)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jan 23
Such beautiful hens ! How nice of them to keep these eggs warm for someone else .
2 people like this
much2say
@much2say (55591)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv Their motherly instincts are quite strong .
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Yes, they are generous souls, aren't they?
1 person likes this
Always smiling
@allknowing (136203)
• India
15 Jan 23
They should be sitting on all the eggs. I see some on the floor
1 person likes this
Always smiling
@allknowing (136203)
• India
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv Hibernation takes place in a private space where others do not come to lay their eggs.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
@allknowing Yes, that is what should be happening.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
It's all a bit hit and miss. The guinea fowl are still laying there I think so I doubt too many will hatch out. And it's too hot for the eggs to get too cold.
1 person likes this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (67882)
• United States
15 Jan 23
The photo of the eggs would sell for $20 in the U.S., with the price of eggs here now.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
You could put the photo in the kitchen and drool over it! lol
1 person likes this
Marlina
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
15 Jan 23
I had to check he meaning of this one :
mad as a meat-axe
idioms.thefreedictionary.com
Definition of mad as a meat-axe in the Idioms Dictionary by The Free Dictionary
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Thanks for the link. It doesn't say how the saying came about but that's okay. These two old hens are the insane type!
Anna
@LadyDuck (471394)
• Switzerland
15 Jan 23
I was admiring the hen on the left, but the two are beautiful. I hope they behaved last evening.
2 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (471394)
• Switzerland
16 Jan 23
@JudyEv That is the best, nothing to do, just close the gate.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
I left it till the last moment and they had put themselves in the shed so I just quietly shut the gate.
1 person likes this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (79783)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
15 Jan 23
What wonderful-looking chickens. remember not to count your chickens before they're hatached
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
That's a very good idea. There are a lot of eggs under those hens.
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (19211)
• London, England
15 Jan 23
I thought that was a lot of eggs, but now I know they were 'watching' them for another bird!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
The first eggs should have been marked as the guinea fowl are still laying there so who knows what's going to happen. If the first lot had a pencil or biro mark, we could have removed the rest as they appeared. But it's not really a big deal.
1 person likes this
G
@freelancermariagrace (27894)
• Philippines
15 Jan 23
Both are beautiful!!!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
The two stupid ones are very similar to these two.
1 person likes this
M Cheung
@Beestring (14539)
• Hong Kong
15 Jan 23
Those are very beautiful chickens.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
They are certainly pretty.
1 person likes this
Yesinta Mersilia
@yesiisey (267)
• Indonesia
15 Jan 23
there are so many eggs
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
Some should have been taken away but it's not really for us to do.
Happy xtine
@Xynehappy (154)
• Kenya
15 Jan 23
Gladly you would be having multiple chickens soon
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339744)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jan 23
I hope some hatch out as the little girl that lives here would be thrilled.