New Life

I cracked a couple more eggs yesterday, and they were rotten too. No hint of any development whatsoever. So I looked up another seller of eggs, and wrote to her asking if our hen would continue to sit on more eggs. She said that she probably would, but she also had some day old chicks available too.

So after some deliberating I decided to go round and take some chicks, to give the poor hen a break.

How excited the children were!

Off we went and we now have five little chicks. They are all araucanas, I'm not sure what sex they are.

Just look....

I kept them in the house under a lamp for the rest of the day, and then after dark I went out to the nesting hen and removed her remaining eggs, and gently slipped the chicks under her.

I wasn't sure if she'd like them, but although she behaved a bit confused to begin with, she really likes them.

While I was outside waiting to see what would happen one chick poked its head out from under her, she pecked its head, then scooped it back under her wing.

At that moment I knew all would go well.

She seems like a superb mother.

Previously I've just raised ducklings under the heat lamp which is just lovely for us humans, but to see this hen with some chicks is just so right, and pure and totally lovely. I'm so glad!