Hiatus, news and a funny chicken story

So I've clearly been on hiatus.

But there is a good reason folks! As some of you might know - we're expecting a baby! A little bobble-head! A cute, lovable tax deduction! ( no cute high-waisted skirts for me this season)

I've been exhausted, and I've been spending a lot of time sleeping (and doing homework), so I haven't had much time for blogging, or for chickens for that matter. DH has been taking care of the girls while I napped for the past two or three months.

Now that I'm back up and around, I've noticed that one of my dear little hens have developed the bad habit of sleeping in the nest box. Which means every day I find at least one egg covered in chicken poo. Not fun. And I'm not sure how to break her (I think Patsy is the culprit) of the habit. For now, I've taken to locking them out of the nest every night by leaning a piece of wood backed by a gallon bottle full of water (for weight) in the doorway. This essentially turns the doorway to the nest box into a solid wall (blocked by the slab of wood).

I thought I had the planks of wood measured perfectly until this morning, when I went to "open" the nests (take out the bottle and remove the wood), and found poor little Gretchen jammed into the box next to the bottle behind the wood, trying frantically to get out. Apparently she was able to stuff herself in the crack beside the plank (no idea how she managed that), and was able to summon enough energy to push the bottle aside far enough to lay an egg, but couldn't get back out once she was done. As soon as I opened the hatch to the nest box, she tried to hop out of the top. Luckily I caught her before she could escape, and let her out the normal way. I had no idea she could be that determined. Makes me wonder just how bad contractions will be...will I too, have super strength when the time comes?