Where was I? ...Oh yes.. wear appropriate clothing. Currently my appropriate clothing comprises two pairs of sox, one pair of saggy crotch thermal long johns, one pair of tight jeans, (to keep the thermals up,) several jumpers, a light windproof coat, a wool scarf, gardening gloves and my sturdy fake fur. I will, of course, put other layers on when I actually venture outdoors to collect the eggs.
Now, it's best to try to look innocent when egg collecting. We don't need to alert the girls to the fact that you're stealing their children, so practise sauntering. Imagine it is late spring and you are admiring the flowers. Walk in a zig-zag towards the coop so as not to be too obvious.
When you arrive at the coop exclaim loudly,
'Gosh, I'll just lift up this nest box flap and peer in, purely for the purpose of checking if the coop needs cleaning.' [Remember to smile in a nice way.]
To be honest, none of this am dram stuff really works. The girls are wise to the fact that chickens only lay eggs in the nest box when they have no where else to go. When they have access to acres and acres, it's much more fun to play hidey-seeky with the fat girl, [I'm not actually that fat, it's my coat, it makes me look poofy.]
In reality the nest box is usually the last place I check.
Ideally you need to 1.find bucket, 2. dress appropriately 3. make a coffee. All this to be done before you open the hen coop in the morning. Dressed correctly and clutching coffee and basket, pop outdoors and let the girls out. Spread a little food about and make sure they have fresh clean water, rather than a block of ice!
Then sit/stand back and sip coffee. Sure they'll all start eating, drinking and rooster will be doing his thang to the ladies, (urgh!) but sooner or later one of those girls will crave a bit of egg laying.
This is the time to employ your 'innocent look' and ideally you should appear lethargic.
She'll look surreptitiously around, probably give you a stare before picking her skirts up and running like a 6yo who needs the toilet. Here at The Larches the favoured spot for off-piste laying seems to be up behind the compost heap, so said hen, (usually Archie,) darts from the coop area, towards the house, past the front door and up the drive.
As soon as she passes me I launch into commando mode, lethargy forgotten. By tip-toe running up the drive after her, I soon reach the cover of one of the cars before she turns around to check if anyone is following her.
She stops. Checks.
By this time I am slammed against Dizzy Discovery, hardly breathing for fear of being exposed and therefore evade her beady eyes.
Off she goes again and this time I am forced to run for the cover of the Monkey Puzzle tree. Bloody spiky that tree! Again, I am undetected.
Off she goes again but this time it is clear that she has reached her destination; the hollow of the tree in the hedge behind the compost. Ah ha! I will return there later to collect that egg.
All in all, very successful, except I have 20 hens and there are approximately ten nests that are used on a rota basis. I don't need to join a gym really. Clearly the girls confer during the night in order to test my resolve. Last week they lay eggs behind the huge mountain of logs in the woodshed and the saying 'I saw something nasty in the woodshed!' has never been truer. I made it to the top of the unsteady pile and spotted 6 eggs but then the pile moved and I ended up on my derriere. Apparently country folk are taught from an early age not to climb bales or wood stacks, this wasn't mentioned in St John's Wood, London.
Anyhoo, I hope this egg collecting malarkey is now as clear as day. I shall look for an equally challenging subject shortly, possibly regarding hand-rearing lambs as I understand that the sproglets have finally worn their father down.
Till next time. Over, And. Owt!
At one time in my life I wanted to keep chickens... No, the moment hasn't passed, we just live in a neighborhood with livestock restrictions. Maybe someday we will move to the country. Hopefully by that time you will have perfected the egg collecting part of being a chicken farmer and, armed with your instructions and a fur coat (fake or otherwise), I will be able to collect eggs.
ReplyDeleteGood lord! Have you been in my wardrobe?? Except for the jeans (I am usually in my pajamas) we would look like a right pair of egg snatchers :)
ReplyDeleteC. Joy: Bum! I thought I had perfected the egg collecting. {shrugs} Right, back to the drawing board...
ReplyDeleteMother Hen: It's true I have been rooting around in your closet... lots of nice 90's stuff I must say, much like mine. I haven't been clothes shopping since my husband forced me to have a joint account! 1993... Sob!
Now I understand your egg comment! I really don't have anything against eggs, in fact I have considered having our own chickens (mainly for the compost -- I know that sounds weird). It's hereditary. There is something in the taste of cooked eggs on their own that does not agree with my taste buds. PS -- love the collection in the jack-o-lantern! x
ReplyDeleteA Modern Mother: Ahh [wise nodding of head,] we're very egg-centric over here. Mind you, I restrict the intake of eggs for the family, we have only 2 cooked a week, a few more in cakes. Friends and family take the rest. But, like you, I do love the manure for the garden and they are very social.
ReplyDeleteThe coat and bucket are a stark contrast to the egg collecting image. I love it and a clever disguise! Chicken keeping is so theraputic, and entertaining at the same time! Just dont give them left over curry, it will taint the eggs! x
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