quandary solved!

I was sitting with a bunch of ladies today at co-op who were chatting about a variety of things and although only one of whom I really have anything in common with it was a pleasant conversation nonetheless. The one whom I have things in common with showed me a picture of her new beef critter; a handsome chap let me say, and forwarded the pictures through to her laying hens, one of which had chicks near her. I ooh'd and ahh'd and said how much I'd like for the kids to experience that and seeing as Queen so desperately wants to be a mother hen and all........ then she asked me if I wanted some eggs to try to stick under the hen to see if she'd set on them. Before I had a chance to think it over I heard the words emphatically popping out of my mouth "Heck yeah!" So we chatted a bit more and to make a long story short she dropped them off tonight on her way home from work. Faith was giddy with anticipation that her hen had the possibility of becoming a mom and was quite literally hopping up and down after my friend left waiting to go put them under her or in the nesting box and see if she'd set on them. I'll admit I'm pretty excited too, I experienced this as a child and it's so neat, especially when it's your hen! Faith scooped her up tonight and told her that she would have to sit on the eggs for about 21 days to hatch them out then be a good mommy and take care of them and teach them how to find food and such. It was so cute! In order to know which eggs we are not to take from the nest, we marked them with a green marker and the kids decided to put all the eggs quite literally in one basket, well nesting box at least. Yes, that's a whole dozen, but that's what they decided and since it is for them I let them make that choice. Now I just hope it works!

Marking an egg....

...marking another egg...

....filling the nesting box with eggs and hopeful anticipation...

...Queen checking things out, then directly after this picture was taken she looked at Faith and started purring, yes, that's right, purring. Not like a cat, like a chicken. It was a very happy noise. Then sort of squawking as if she were saying, "I'm only one hen and that is a lot of kids for one hen, how do you expect me to take care of them all, my goodness, I'm only one hen for crying out loud!"

I just went out to the barn twice while typing this post, once to check on her and the nest to see if she was sitting on it then a second time to take pictures for Faith and this post. I think she'll be happy when I tell her what I found tonight......

One seemingly very contented mother hen to be......

.....when the desire to be a mother is that strong it does not matter whether they are your blood or not, you just go with what feels right and you love them like you would your own child.