In the three weeks leading up to our Thanksgiving party, I checked Ethel every day to make sure she was still sitting on those six precious, mail-ordered eggs.
Chook house overlooking the olive grove
When she stepped on one egg and broke it, we were suddenly down to five.
And then, around two weeks into the 21-day incubation period, our dominant hen Henrietta did something which complicated everything.
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Chickens, New Zealand | Tagged: barnevelder, broody, chicken coop, Chickens, chook house | 
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Posted by Moon Over Martinborough
“There are two main ways to get a hen off the cluck,” Aussie Bronwyn said over the phone. “For the first way, you need a bucket, and for the second way you need a trap…”
Ethel broody on the chook house floor
Get a large bucket. Fill it with cold water (but not too cold). Pick up the offending chicken – holding her tight and making sure her wings are pinned. Now, very quickly, stick her backside in the bucket.
“Once her backside’s wet,” Aussie Bronwyn said, “she won’t want to sit down on any eggs, and she’ll forget the whole thing.”
“If she’s still broody after that, you can use the trap. But I think it’s even more cruel than the first.”
12 Comments | Chickens, New Zealand | Tagged: barnevelder, broody, Chickens, light sussex | Permalink
Posted by Moon Over Martinborough
About two months ago now, I walked out to the chook house one morning to find that overnight one of our chickens had transformed into a growling, rabid beast.
Ethel in the nesting box
She’d taken command of the nesting box, and every time I went near her she let out a threatening growl, puffed herself up, and tried to bite me.
It was Ethel, one of the two Light Sussex chickens that Rick refers to as ‘the fat English ladies.’
“Ethel,” I said. “You’re a chicken, not a dog. Stop that.”
She growled again. It was clearly some kind of identity crisis. I scratched my head. What do you do when your chicken thinks she’s a dog?
Then it dawned on me. This was worse than an identity crisis. This was the day I’d been dreading.
We had our first broody chicken on our hands.
18 Comments | Chickens, New Zealand | Tagged: broody, Chickens, light sussex | Permalink
Posted by Moon Over Martinborough
Rick called me at work on Thursday morning in a panic.
Roast turkey
“Did you see the weather forecast for Saturday?” he said. “It’s horrible. Rain all day. Should we cancel Thanksgiving?”
For most people, the idea of canceling Thanksgiving on account of a little bit of rain would seem a ridiculous idea, but they’ve never been to one of our Thanksgiving parties.
16 Comments | Country dinner parties, Neighbors, New Zealand | Tagged: city friends, gratitude, kind neighbors, olive grove, rimutaka hill road | Permalink
Posted by Moon Over Martinborough
Great news. I’ve just learned that ‘Moon over Martinborough’ is a finalist in the very exciting ONYA awards!
One of the judges said, “Jared’s blog is engaging and entertaining; he is taking the Wairarapa to the World and doing so with aplomb…”
Woo hoo!
12 Comments | Guest posts & media, New Zealand | Tagged: gratitude, satisfying work | Permalink
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