Chicken-and-egg story, spoiler Weds.

I'm confused. I've realised that I know very little about chickens and I
haven't the faintest idea what Hayley's on about. Can some hen-loving umrat
explain, please?
- What's the problem with a "broody" hen? Why would Mike want to ring their
necks? Hayley may well be broody too, but nobody's wanting to ring her neck.
- Why can't the broody hen lay its own eggs? Why does it get to sit on 13
surrogate eggs? Isn't 13 a ridiculous number? (how big is a hen's bum
anyway?)
- Whose eggs are those anyway? Well I know they're not Hayley's they're from
other hens, but why?
- Would those eggs otherwise have been eaten? Are they all fertilised, and
if so why aren't their rightful mother-hens feeling broody too and sitting
on them?
- Or is there some point I'm missing entirely?

Maybe the hen story is there for dramatic effect, and there will be a human
parallel: Carly gives birth to 13 babies and Hayley fosters them? Mike rings
Hayley's neck?

Anyway I'd be grateful to have this all explained to me in case it becomes a
major story-line.

--
Best wishes,

Marjorie


.

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