Thursday, April 14, 2011

Nesting Hens

It's spring and the hens are nesting.


Closer to Easter they will start laying eggs. (The chocolate and jellybean variety.)


I am particularly fond of the slag glass.

Some of my hens have Mosser, Westmoreland, and Boyd marks.  Others have no mark at all.  

Did you know there were over 50 glass companies that made nesting hens?  Hens were made in every color of the rainbow and in over 150 sizes and forms.  The very first pressed glass hen-on-nest was made in Germany, in 1895.  (None of mine are that old.)

This chart, borrowed from  Shirley Smith's research on glass hens, shows some of the differences in the hens and  how they are identified.    If you collect hens, it's a great site to visit.



This page on Fenton Hens will also help the collector identify
the wonderfully varied features of nesting hens.



Close-up on the vintage embroidered tablecloth.  
(I collect those too, but that will have to wait for another post.)

Today I'm linking to Vintage Thingie Thursday.  Thanks to our hostess,  The Colorado Lady.

38 comments:

  1. Wow! What a wonderful collection! I love the little pink and clear ones.
    xo,
    Sena

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  2. Oh I love your hens. I collect just the miniatures and love them. I have 3 hens and 1 bunnie.

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  3. You have a lovely flock! And chocolate eggs? Lucky you!!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  4. Oh goodness - what a fabulous collection - love all of your adorable hens and your vintage table cloth with daisies.
    Have a wonderful day.
    Blessings,
    Erin

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  5. What a wonderful variety of them you've collected! All so pretty. You're making me want to start another collection, and I already have too many. laurie

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  6. Very nice collection of hens. And I love the tablecloth. I don't have any hens, but have LOTS of tablecloths. You asked on my blog about Jane Eyre. It is not perfect, but I enjoyed the scenery and houses and such. The scenery would not show up watching it on dvd, so if you like that sort of thing, go see it.

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  7. You have some lovely collections! What sweet hens you have! I love that they lay chocolate and jellybean eggs. Yum!

    Nancy

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  8. All of your colors are great, especially the cobalt! I'm trying to collect all clear and so far have a rooster, turkey and broke a duck (bummer). We'll see how it goes-enjoy:@)

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  9. I adore your sweet collection my friend!!! I would so love to start collecting those hens. Thank you for your sweet comment you left me.xoxoxo

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  10. So cute!! I had a blue one that I got at a consignment shop years ago. I'll have to check to see if I still have it. I didn't know any of this information about them until now. Very informative post and so pretty with all the blue.

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  11. Hi girlfriend,
    I haven't been by to visit lately. I apologize!! Thanks for visiting me! And I do love our KC Sprint area, don't you? So clean and fun and seems quite safe to be at. Do you go there quite often?

    Love the nesting hens..they remind me of my grandma for some reason...she didn't collect them but I remember seeing one as a little girl at her house.
    Blessings and have a great weekend,
    Tanya

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  12. love your pretty nesting hens, gayle. a sweet collection, and perfect for easter.

    no worries, your 'bring the spring' prize is on the way.

    have a lovely weekend.
    xo
    ~molly

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  13. What a beautiful collection of hens. I didn't know they started making them so early. Love that embroidery.

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  14. Love this! I think they're adorable - I didn't know there'd be so many varieties - I have one - the milkglass -
    thanks for sharing,
    Kathy

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  15. great chicks! thanks for the chicken tutorial!

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  16. You have the best treasures I always enjoy when you share.I have just one nesting hen. Thank you for sharing.

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  17. What sweet collection. My mother had a few that she would display seasonally. Makes me wonder what happened to them??? Your vintage table cloth is lovely too.

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  18. Lovely collection. I have 3 but mine are the white milk glass. Yours makes for a wonderful colorful display. ~~Sherry~~

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  19. That's a great collection! I love hens, but don't have that many....yet.

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  20. Nice hen collection...I am in love with that tablecloth, just beautiful.

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  21. I love your flock - and your tablecloth. The colors are so interesting. I started collecting hens also but chose to stay with the white ones - many of which are made by Westmoreland. I have a great flock of them and love them all. I've found them at yard sales and second hand shops - and received a few as gifts. They are especially fun in the spring - though some of them have been used for jam dishes and now and then at breakfast for fruit - such useful little hens.

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  22. Before I begin... I was wondering what you were going to make with all of Jenny's lemons. That cake looks AMAZING. Great pics of it too ; )
    I learnt something new about nesting Hens today. I also have a couple, but their not vintage but cute.
    Have a great weekend.
    Love Claudette
    xoxoxoxo

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  23. Wow.....who would have thought there was so much history behind a laying glass hen. Can't wait till they start laying chocolate eggs :) x

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  24. Oh my goodness I just love your blog! I have several of those precious hens as well - your post is just wonderful!! Thank you for visiting my blog - you always make my day with your lovely comments - it is always like my dear friend came to my home to visit!
    Have a great day!
    <><
    Concetta

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  25. Hey Gayle, love your nesting hens particularly the teeny tiny ones, they are just so cute.

    Your nesting hens are probably laying more eggs than my chooks at the moment..........Cold weather has struck, egg production less than zero.....

    Interesting reading the chart too, shall have to keep an eye out for some nesting hens, nice collection.

    Have a great weekend,

    Claire :}

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  26. Wonderful collection.
    I have the standard brown ceramic one and keep my eggs in her.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Sandie xx

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  27. That's a lovely glass collection. I don't have hens but frogs.

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  28. You have a fabulous collection. I occasionally see these when I'm out shopping. I had no idea that so many companies made nesting hens, great info.!!
    Jane

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  29. Gayle...I have lots of finds from this sweet antique store in Olathe called Sentimental Journey. A mom and daughter own it and it is just low key and well priced. It is on the south side by Olathe Med Center. 907 S. Chestnut St. Enjoy! Beautiful hens. Can't believe I haven't been here before! Lovely...Renee

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  30. What an awesome collection ~ love your hens! The vintage embroidered tablecloth is so pretty too!

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  31. I love your nesting hens! I've always wanted one of those, but it is one of the things that I don't have. But, I do have a few embroidered tablecloths.

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  32. What a sweet collection you have! I love all the different sizes. I hope you share more pictures when they lay their "eggs." Thanks for visiting Cottage and Creek and have a lovely weekend.
    ~Lynn
    www.cottageandcreek.com

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  33. Love those blues, great collection!
    I just have cheapie ones from CTS!

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  34. I love them, too! I have one little tiny one that looks a lot like the turquoise blue one all the way almost out of the picture! Nice to have some info! Thanks! ♥

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  35. What an interesting post! I love learning about the history of things and I do have one of these nesting hens. They make such delightful displays.

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  36. Wow! I feel like my life flashed before me. I recognize so many of the great items you have. Thanks for sharing memories for me without knowing me! I'm a new follower and hope you will follow me, too.
    Thanks, Helen of Helen's Decor

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  37. Yo también tengo alguna pequeña... la buscaré...
    Un abrazo

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THANK YOU for your thoughtful comments. Replies to your questions will be posted here, so be sure to check back soon. Have a wonderful day! - Gayle, Garden Of Daisies