Along some of my fence is a dense, thick growth of nettles and thistles. I leave it be, because it provides an additional barrier for the boar when he gets put in that field for the summer--he hates walking through the stuff, and who can blame him?
Cheryl the hen, however, thought it was a perfect stretch to hide a nest in. If I hadn't seen her gingerly worming her way in there, I never would have found it...I had to cut through a foot of the evil weeds just to get a picture. I'll finish up tonight so I can move her and her clutch, but I find myself wondering just which one of us is the birdbrain?
Silly hen...or smart...
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windwalkingwolf
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ross
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
Smart hen found protection in the nettles to raise her brood . Nature is wonderful . Luck Jan
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ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA
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Jaye
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
Pretty picture, Jan. She may be sneaky, but gormless she is NOT.
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RIP Scooby, AKA Awesome Dog. Too well loved to ever be forgotten. "Sometime in June", 2005 - January 24, 2017.
"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France
"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France
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TomK
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
@Jaye ...neat word "gormless"...have to remember that one 
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If you don't plant the tree, you will never have the fruit...
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Jaye
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
hope you will, @TomK : I think it's a useful word too!
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RIP Scooby, AKA Awesome Dog. Too well loved to ever be forgotten. "Sometime in June", 2005 - January 24, 2017.
"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France
"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France
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Farrier1987
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
I would be tempted to leave her be where she is. Yes, she could be prey, but might also come through well. I kind of like letting nature do its thing. I had a friend that had a hen that would disappear about may or june, and come in about September with a brood about 3 months old. Had gone feral for the summer.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: Silly hen...or smart...
@Jaye , I think "gormless" is going to be my Word of the Week. I know a lot of gormless people that I have regular dealings with: my in-laws at the forefront. I can insult them without them knowing what I'm talking about 
They've caught on that if I start talking like a technical manual, that I'm probably delivering a thinly veiled insult, but "gormless" is obscure enough that it should make their brains hurt for a bit just trying to figure out how it is spelled so that they can Google the meaning 
I didn't get a chance to move her last night, but I still plan to do it... I have seriously considered just letting the hen sit where she is, but I'm too much of a meddler
I don't know how many of those eggs are fertile, if any, or exactly how long she's been on them; and I REALLY REALLY want to know 
They've caught on that if I start talking like a technical manual, that I'm probably delivering a thinly veiled insult, but "gormless" is obscure enough that it should make their brains hurt for a bit just trying to figure out how it is spelled so that they can Google the meaning I didn't get a chance to move her last night, but I still plan to do it... I have seriously considered just letting the hen sit where she is, but I'm too much of a meddler
I don't know how many of those eggs are fertile, if any, or exactly how long she's been on them; and I REALLY REALLY want to know
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