Buttercup lets out her inner dinosaur to protect her eggs. It’s too bad that hens don’t have hands. If they did, they could write novels, code apps, knit booties, all sorts of things while they wait for their eggs to hatch.

This is Buttercup sitting on her eggs today. Last year in April she was doing the same thing. She’s aged a bit in a year. The pictures below are from last April when she was sitting on eggs and teaching her new chicks how to forage.

Does she have any memories of raising chicks last year? What does she think as she sits on her eggs, day after day? Having raised chicks last year, does she plan on raising them differently this year? We think so little of animals like chickens. They are far more complex than we can fathom.

Also see:

• They Are All Unique
• Teaching Them to Feed

A second hen is sitting on eggs. By the end of the month, there should be two mother hens raising chicks. The warm, sunny weather is encouraging them to start early this year.

Chickens seem to always be on the verge of asking a question. Who is that? What are they eating? When is that nest going to be empty? Where are you going? They are always asking questions. You can see it in their eyes.

Hanabi-Hime 花火姫 has been on a nest for two full days. Is she or isn’t she incubating eggs? She’s just a year old. If she is, she will be the first hen this year. It’s a great time to start. The cherry blossoms are starting to bloom, and potatoes are poking out of the ground. I have a patch of potatoes which have gone wild. When I see them sprouting, then I know it’s safe to plant potatoes.