It didn’t quite fit under the tree, but Jim built Deb and i a fancy new cage. For those who don’t know chickens, a hen can sometimes go “broody” which means it stops laying, fluffs up its feathers, refuses to leave the nest, growls at you if you remove it, then runs immediately back to the nest, day or night. This is normal chicken behavior when it’s time to set on some eggs to hatch them, but it’s not useful when you’re trying to produce eggs!

A “broody cage” is for isolating a hen from the rest of the flock (and the nests) until it stops brooding, which can take a few days.

This new cage is lifted off the ground – cool air under a broody hen helps it to realize it’s not time to brood – and it’s got comfy handles for opening/closing and carrying around. Deluxe!’