# fall is here! (very small hens, and some chickens)



## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

went for a walk today and found some really tiny, young hens! fall is here...

see the small hen by my hand there.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

this is the same hen


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

from the side


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

found on other little hen button on the other side of the same root....nothing else on this tree that i could see.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

and i found some chunky looking chicken on a log on my way home.

good luck out there!


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## Henpicker (May 20, 2008)

Whoo-Hoo! I was thinking that with the cooler nights we've had that some might be starting. Nice shots and thanks for sharing.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Good show my man!
September 12th last year was my first hen pick I believe, and I got 10 of them. I checked yesterday and found nothing. I'll check every couple days from now on and see what comes up. 
I cannot wait to sautee up some fresh mitake! Maybe tomorrow.....:corkysm55


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## Kearly Shuffle (Sep 15, 2006)

Great finds! I've been out looking everyday since Sunday. I've found some beautiful yellow pored chickens, and one enormous white pored chicken just tonight. Another log was just starting to sprout some more yellow pored. If we get some rain, the Hen season I think should be excellent this year!


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I was expecting to find more then the 2 samll dried up ones i found, checked a bunch of spots figured on one tree being for sure, but....no luck, soon though


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## StumpJumper (Nov 13, 2001)

Those might not be true hens, there's an earlier species "Black Staining Polypore" that looks very similar that comes out a few weeks before the hens. 

They could be hens too though it's hard to tell when they are so small. I wouldn't be surprised if they are hens though with the cool weather we have had.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

I think those are real hens, the black stainers at least in my area have been done for a while it seems like. Looks like little hens. Anyone get out and find anything this weekend?


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

Sparky23 said:


> I think those are real hens, the black stainers at least in my area have been done for a while it seems like. Looks like little hens. Anyone get out and find anything this weekend?


I did get out to my two spots. I found one small hen. I found a bunch of honeys. Probably a good 3 bushels, however ended up with just under 1/2 of a bushel as most were old and very buggy already. Pretty disappointinng. I had visited this spot 6 days earlier and nothing. So, if you like honeys I'd get out soon......


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Sparky23 said:


> I think those are real hens, the black stainers at least in my area have been done for a while it seems like. Looks like little hens. Anyone get out and find anything this weekend?


Got out, checked today also, nothing yet.


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## Kearly Shuffle (Sep 15, 2006)

Was out Sunday the 14th. One more chicken. No Hens still!


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## Mushroom Jack (May 28, 2009)

hardwaterfan said:


> and i found some chunky looking chicken on a log on my way home.
> 
> good luck out there!


 

Excellent find !! Those are in the perfect stage for the table. Check out one of our meals from last year.

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## RippinLipp (Sep 12, 2008)

I went out this mornin in the rain.. Found a few fresh chickens but no hens. I thought i would find some but nope.. I found them at this time last year.. Has anyone found any yet in se mich?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Well I have one hen breaking ground at the tree that is usually first to go each year out of all my spots. It was just outta the soil yesterday, today it is about twice the size but nowhere near as big as Hardwaterfan's pics yet. 
This tree usually has twins at minimum and no others starting yet unless they are under the leaves. But I did not disturb the area and will keep at it daily now, and is about on schedule. It is usually between the 10th and 18th when they finally show for me. 
Man, am I jonesin for some of these! :gaga:


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

OK I got one, small but pickable. Still waiting on that one I left and left another that might grow. This one about the size of a baseball did not appear like it would grow and bugs were hitting it a little, and I was hungry for some .


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## MAttt (Dec 15, 2004)

Very nice George and sounds good Mark!
I have not seen one yet, but we just finally
had good rain over the last week.
I generally see a few honeys first here.


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## Woodbutcher-1 (Nov 21, 2004)

StumpJumper said:


> Those might not be true hens, there's an earlier species "Black Staining Polypore" that looks very similar that comes out a few weeks before the hens.
> 
> They could be hens too though it's hard to tell when they are so small. I wouldn't be surprised if they are hens though with the cool weather we have had.


You are right StumpJumper,NOT the true hen
Grifola frondosa.What he has there is something in the meripilus complex that does not stain black when cut or bruised.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

here is the larger mushroom from the top again, same view, 6 days later. (9-12-10) (the small one on this same tree dried up...no growth)


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

same side shot, six days later (see the stick)


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

i laid frond that i ripped off the mushroom off to the side of the overhead view, here is a close up.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

im always willing to learn, whatever this mushroom is....i thought for sure it was a hen. thoughts?


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

hardwaterfan said:


> im always willing to learn, whatever this mushroom is....i thought for sure it was a hen. thoughts?


Sure looks like a hen to me. One that has not, or is not going to, fully develope or develope normally. Not too far off from this pic linked below on the mushroomexpert.com site. 
Weather conditions can cause growth and color variations on all sorts of mushrooms. Is this from a known perviously hen producing tree or from a scout trip? Check out the look alikes in your book if ya have one, doo the right thing before consuming it though.....
Checked on my growing hen today and it is finally getting some size and not being devoured by bugs yet  
Should have done a growth study on it but I kept forgetting the camera :rant:

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/images/kuo/grifola_frondosa_01big.jpg


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

> Is this from a known perviously hen producing tree or from a scout trip?


it is from a close, reliable hen tree. anything is possible though. there are some kind of white brackets on the other side of this tree and also i have found jacks growing next to a hen on a nearby tree.

went on a mushroom slash fishin trip yesterday (9-18), took one rod and the camera 

first stop, the same mushroom again, looks like a deer or something ate a little bit of it, i ripped it apart a little bit more to check it out, heres the pic.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

ahhh...something new!


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

looks like this will be a decent sized one....i will probably pick this one...next weekend?


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

then on down to the creek for some smallie action/mushroom checkin in the woods.....the smallie fishin was outstanding, didnt see much in the way of shrooms.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

did see a very cool sight though...


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## MAttt (Dec 15, 2004)

No mistaken that now George, Nice hens for sure
along with a nice smallie!
Cool looking fresh chicken tree too.
All 3 are choice edibles imo.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

thanks Matt, and all you guys here..thanks for the kind words...good luck to ya out there!

need some rain here....been so dry lately.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

this is a follow up to the pic in post #28, that pic was taken on 9-18 and this one was taken on 9-26. exactly one week later, im amazed by how quickly it grew.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

here is the pic again...(ill make it easier)


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