Hopalong Hollow Gazette News Flash!
The population of Hopalong Hollow just increased by a dozen as Plain Jane Black (prodigious egg layer, and all-around expert mommy), brought forth these here little uns.
With still 4 more eggs to hatch, Jane will be the Grand Dame of chicken folk in this domain, seeing as we were down to only 1 rooster ( the proud papa) and 4 little hens,
(thanks to the dastardly criminal, Sir Percival J Fox!)
(thanks to the dastardly criminal, Sir Percival J Fox!)
We reporters, here at the Gazette, were relieved that Jane chose to lay her eggs in the cozy nesting box in the upstairs barn, rather that the snow covered gully in which she hatched her LAST batch of wee babes.
However, The little uns kept falling out of the nesting box and onto the barn floor, so the Mistress of the Manor relocated everyone to a roomy Banana Box apartment.
The Mistress finds these chicks quite enchanting, and keeps making up excuses to leave her art table in order to visit said Banana Box.
Jane asks that all well-wishers decline from sending flowers, and send along large quantities of chicken mash, instead.
After all, these are a lotta mouths to feed.
It remains to be seen as to whether or not these "big uns" will tend to their duties as Chicken Guardians.
We hope so.
Hopalong Hollow Gazette Newsreel
awwww...how cute!
ReplyDeleteAren't they sweet, Jeri. It must be so much fun to hold them. I expect the mom can get a bit cranky with humans around their chicks.
ReplyDeleteDeb
Deb, She just tolerates me. I am such an annoying busybody when it comes to these babies.
Deletesooooo cuuuute! congrats! hope you are enjoying the beginning of june!
ReplyDeleteerin
xxoo
My daily read and my cup of tea, what more could any city woman want than to be transported to Tennessee and Jeri Landers's barn! WOW, do you have your hands lovingly filled! I love the taste of fresh eggs, but wait...I'm confused. Forgive me, I am an ignoramus when it comes to barnyard matters....what's the difference when a hen lays eggs that you pick to cook, and then the chickens that lay eggs and you wait for chicks to hatch? I submit my question to the main office of The Hopalonghollow Gazette and I will wait for a reply to my quandry; I'm pleasantly confused, and curious!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! Anita
Anita, The Hopalong Hollow Gazette is pleased as punch to answer your inquiry. IF you do not want your hens to hatch the eggs, (because you want to make omelets instead), you remove the eggs each day and place in fridge. But IF you want a new batch of chickies, you leave eggs in one nest and a Broody hen ( that is a hen that is yearning for motherhood)will take to sitting upon the eggs. Not all the eggs will hatch, because some are unfertilized. That all depends on how "BUSY" your rooster has been.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while, a broody hen will lay her eggs in a hidden spot,so they cannot be snatched from her, and suddenly, one sunny morning, this same mother hen will scamper past your vision with tiny baby chicks in tow.
Jeri, What a treat to read this post. The babies are adorable. I especially love the first picture with the little chick gazing up at it momma. Precious! Oh I do hope the palace guards stay vigil and guard against Sir Percival. Oh, I don't think I could possibly stay away from the banana box either. Hugs! Bonnie
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Jeri ! Lovely lovely babies ! Congratulations Jane !
ReplyDeleteHi Jeri....
ReplyDeleteI just got caught up with the happenings around the Hollow! Your babies have grown into fine young men for sure...and what big balls of lovey fluff!! Plain Jane is a wonderful mother. And her peeps are adorable! It will be fun to see what they grow into. If you are in need of a few roosters, I would gladly mail a few to you. I seem to have ended up with about 8 too many this time. Goodness, mornings are going to be noisy around here very soon!!
Have a great week!!
Bev
Bonjour,
ReplyDeleteJe suis très heureuse de vous retrouver après mon absence...
Et quel merveilleux billet que celui-ci et la naissance de ces poussins !... Une très jolie leçon de vie.
Je vois que Maman Poule est une poule chanceuse...
Merci pour le partages de ces très jolies photos.
Gros bisous à vous.
on de vous voir encore une fois, je vais visiter sur votre blog !
DeleteSo absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteThey are so adorably cute. I almost wish they didn't have to grow up and become so tasty!
ReplyDeleteThat video is wonderful!
Di
Xxxx
WELL! I must say that the editor-in-chief is ON TOP OF THINGS and your reply has been gratefully received, and I learned a thing or two that I never DID learn way back when I should have, probably in first grade!!!!! Thank you staff and researchers out at Hopalonghollow Gazette!
ReplyDeleteOK, so NOW I GET IT! SHEESH! What an ignoramus indeed, but that's what happens when you grow up in the city and just put a carton of eggs in your carriage then go home to eat them....from market to table instead of from farm to table!
AND...that lush wild green growth over our doorway? BITTERSWEET VINE! NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING (even -40 weather in winter) can kill this thing! The good news for us who have brick homes is that there are NO suckers, only fabulous orange berries that appear in the fall!
BITTERSWEET VINE...I know it will work for your temps too!
LOVE TO YOU ALL! Anita
Baby chicks are so enchanting....I used to sneak out to the barn when my grandfather would order a new batch of 'bitties' as he called them every spring. He would put them in a tiny little room with a heat lamp to keep them warm. Many times my grandmother went looking for me and found me asleep amongst a pile of softly chirping baby chicks!!
ReplyDeleteLordy, Lordy, those babies are the cutest little balls of fluff! I love the part in the video where one of them notices Mama hen pecking at the straw and proceeds to peck at Mama's beak to try and get a little snack too. So, so precious the way they look up at her. I know I wouldn't get very much done either besides watching the little ones with Mama hen if I had chickens.
ReplyDeleteI keep talking about having chickens, and maybe now seeing your happy family will spur me into action.
Sorry we weren't able to be in Black Mountain this past weekend. Hope the show was a good one for you.
Love from Diane in North Carolina
Diane, You will love your chickens, the biggest problem is picking a breed because there are so many wonderful ones to choose from. Jane is just a mutt. We left the show early Sunday morning because of the weather reports, I guess we made the right choice, it stormed all day.
ReplyDeleteOh new chicks! How adorable Jeri!
ReplyDeleteMy blog address has changed to:
http://lonadawn7.blogspot.com/
Jeri - what sweet chicks...momma looks so proud too. As for your guardians against Percival - I think they will be just fine. Thanks for making me smile. I am never bored when I visit the Hollow - it always seems to have something special happening! Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteJeri, they are as sweet as can be! I wish I could hold one.
ReplyDeleteI think you ~big uns~ will make wonderful chicken guardians.
Love and blessings,
Penny
so lovely to see your family!
ReplyDeletei can barely believe how cute your pups are!!
Oh Jeri ~ What a sweet family and a proud Papa.
ReplyDeleteYour pups will be good guardians.
FlowerLady
Sweets are Congratulations on this increase in the family, are truly beautiful, and variety of colors.The dogs are two authentic jewelry.Again congratulations.A kiss for all.Mª Carmen Duque
ReplyDeleteOh Jeri...these wee baby chicks are so adorable. How fun to be able to sneak out and check on them. I wouldn't be getting a thing done but chick watching. Thanks for sharing this delightful post. I do hope the big white fluffy giants will keep Mr. Fox at bay and that the chickens will all grow up to live happy chicken lives. Oma Linda
ReplyDeleteJeri, thank you for all the smiles that this sweet (and informative) post has brought to me. As another city dweller, I really love being able to have some close up views of chicks and hens, and fun to hear the crowing on the video sound track, too.
ReplyDeleteLots of artistic inspiration for you here. May that canine be vigilant.
Cheers!
Our children are so disappointed that we won't let the chickens hatch any new chicks this year (we have too many chickens right now as it is!) So cute!
ReplyDeleteDear Jeri,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad the chicks and mama are safe this year; may the chicken guardians grow and protect quickly!
Hope you're having many nice gardening days this spring.
Love,
Marqueta
Hello sweet chickens.....teeeheee
ReplyDeleteJeri dearest, I am honored to read your comment; I so want to write, and for all of my life, I knew I NEEDED to do something with this pent-up sensitivity and love for words. I look forward to my writing class (poetry) in a few weeks, and I just want to shine a little flicker, that's all.
Thank you dear and much respected friend, artist, and writer extraordinaire.
Anita
Soooooo sweet,baby chicks. You are blessed to be living in such a delightful world of animals.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Yes Amy, We are surrounded by babies right now, another hen just hatched some blondies, and the sparrow nest in our window box has 5 fledgelings!
DeleteHaving just cared for 5 chicks, I am reminded by your post why I loved it so much!!! I hope all are doing well!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to se
ReplyDeleteWhoops ... started to say ...so happy to see the flock is repopulating ! Congrats and what fun!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Darling little ones....
ReplyDeleteWhat joy, dear Jeri! :)
Hugs,
- Irina
I found you on View From Harmony Hills-Debbie's blog, and I am entranced. I have had pet geese or ducks since I was 7 years old-and I didn't know anyone else dressed their geese like I do! So I'm hooked- I love your art and the sweetness of your blog. Thank you for making me smile this morning!!!
ReplyDelete~Debra
Debra, Our pleasure! Duck and geese lovers are always welcome in the Hollow.
DeleteHi Jeri
ReplyDeleteIthought iwould stop by and say hi from my Grandaughters cell phone
With teeeny tiny keys and my big grandmother thumbs hee
I sure miss visiting you and blogging I have no computer yet
I will send you some mail soon
I also have been dying to tell you how thrilled I am over your Pyr pups that you have now
they are sooo cuuuuute
Love and Blessings Linnie