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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

> Total chicken count = 46
>

You sure have got your numbers up. I'm saving a few eggs to incubate.
I'm just saving the darkest eggs, so they should be from my Marans
hens. My good Marans hen was sitting on eggs in a little shed near the
house that has freezers in it. Something came in and was eating cat
food in the shed, I should have protected the hen, but forgot that
day. Next morning I found her outside. Whatever (probably possum or
skunk) got her off the nest and ate half the eggs. She went back on
the nest, but left it later in the day. Eggs probably got cold and
died.

Anyway, there was a tuft of feathers there, so I'm just glad my hen is
OK. Eggs were to hatch 1/5 or 6. I've got 7 young roosters that just
started breeding hens and intend to dispatch them soon. There is a
buff hen that is getting nesty maybe she'll go broody on me and do the
work, if not I'll do the incubator method. I'd like some roos for late
spring eating. There is a lot to be said for the incubator method.

Rob - Va