Tuesday, July 14, 2009

a star is born


Not, perhaps, what you were thinking, but this little chickie is a star in our eyes.  It, out of the 50 or so eggs that eventually appeared and disappeared under the hens over a period of about 5 weeks, actually got born.  


Last Thursday, my sister, as she had been doing every day, checked the brooding hens and found this little baby.  She scooped it up and took it into the house and settled it in a box with a lamp for warmth since they had been alerted by the neighbor that he had seen a chicken hawk hanging out on the fence of the yard.


It was four days old in the picture (taken Sunday) and very upset by my attempts to photograph it.  We all feel like proud parents.


You might remember (if you’ve been following my chicken stories) that about two weeks ago the brooding hens (three in one nest all piled on top of each other) were moved out of the chicken yard and into the duck yard (to prevent the deposit of more eggs in the egg bank by those sneaky hens), the eggs (count ‘em, 20) were marked and the calendar as well.  Sunday, there were only two eggs left and no sign of shells or chickies.  The other two hens had been put back in the chicken yard several days before and the lone brooder has, seemingly, lost interest in hatching the remaining two eggs since, apparently, the jig is up and their attempt to keep the eggs from being collected discovered.  


The next step is to slip the little darling, along with some egg shells, under the sleeping brooder at night so that the hen will bond with the baby.  All this time, trouble and eggs for one little baby.  


“Watch”, my sister says, “it’ll probably turn out to be a rooster.”

15 comments:

  1. Sooooo sweet. (love the blue willow dish, too)

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  2. Hope it works out with the bonding!

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  3. I was once the recipient of three little chicks that the hen refused to take care of. They became pets (I was 13) named Rebecca, Cynthia, and Herbert. The two hens lived to a ripe old age of maybe 3 before hitting the stock pot. Herbert, however, was one mean rooster. He spurred me and I cried. Spurred my dad and was kicked for his action. He made the mistake of spurring my mother and was on the table for Sunday dinner. Mother did not possess a tender heart.

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  4. Awwww, I've never seen a brown chickee before. I think he/she is destined to live a robust life.

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  5. The baby is sooo sweet. I hope she bonds.

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  6. What a sweet little chickiepoo, hen or rooster!

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  7. Sweet! All hail to the new chick. Yay!!

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  8. Chicks are so cute. I gave one to a boyfriend in high school. The little chick followed me all over the house before I gave him to said boyfriend. Wait a minute...we broke up after that. I wonder what he did with Little Sweetie.

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

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  9. My grandpa had a farm and when I was a kid we'd bring eggs home to a homemade incubator my older brother made. One time four lived, three hens and a rooster and we kept them in the garage. Until the neighbors complained the rooster made too much noise and the police came over. Back to grandpas' farm they went.

    Steve Tremp
    www.stephentremp.blogspot.com

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  10. So cute! I love that you're helping this little baby along.

    I'd love to know where my wren is nesting, but there are so many trees around me (national forest) there's no telling.

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  11. Really cute! A star's been hatched allright! Congrats!

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  12. So tiny and precious! Hope all goes well.

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  13. Yep. Just like everyone else I'm thinking, "Seriously cute". But 50 eggs? My gosh.

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