We had something pretty darned exciting happen here yesterday! One of my Black Austrolorps had gone broody a few weeks back and the first egg hatched last night! I went out to collect eggs at dusk and heard a very high-pitched chirping as I got closer to the coop, so I knew we had a little one in there somewhere. I found the little guy in another nesting box, apart from the hen. He’s awfully lucky that I found him before the cats did!
Since “mom” is still sitting on about 15 other eggs, she had no interest in taking baby out into the real world for food, so I brought him/her into the house and put him in the empty brooder under the heat lamp. The poor thing was so tired, it could barely hold up it’s head. I wasn’t sure it would make it through the night on it’s own, but this morning he/she seems perky and happy to be alive!
Now that I know they’re starting to hatch, I’ll be running out there several times a day looking for new chicks. Hopefully this cute little guy will have some company before too long.
You know what the really exciting part about all of this is? I have no idea what they’re going to look like when they grow up! Rambo the White Rock is likely the proud papa, but Billy Badass sneaks in some nookie now and then too. We have no idea what Billy is and the hens are so varied that there’s no telling which chicks come from which hens. The Americauna chicks should have green legs, but other than that, it’s anyone’s guess. I just hope most the chicks are hens, because seven roosters on the farm is more than enough!
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