Chicks again!

This is our second year trying to have success hatching chicks with our broody hens. I know I gave you the saga a couple of weeks ago, but we're very happy to say that we do have chicks here now!

They were all due to hatch on Sunday, and slowly the count went up through the day to five little chicks.

'Little Foot' cares for them in her little A-frame enclosure.  Within hours she had some of them out and learning to scratch around.  We had to be very quiet, and quick to snap this photo, as it didn't take long before she summoned them all back to her nest.

I know, that lawn-mower catcher is looking very old.  It's become a little brittle from sun exposure.  Still it served it's purpose well and sheltered the hen on her eggs very well for the 3 weeks.

Can you see the chicks?  Out of the 6 eggs, 5 hatched.  We have 2 black australorps, 1 blue/grey australorp (in the front, left), and 2 white sussex.

A small bowl of water is set out for the chicks, with large pebbles placed inside.  This is to help should the chicks fall in.  We don't want them to drown and they can quickly get a foot hold on the pebbles to get out again.

'Sunday' was still sitting in the main chook house.  She had desserted the fertile eggs we tried to give her for the regular eggs the other hens were laying.  Then she just wouldn't budge!  So, we chose to leave her and I phoned the "chook lady".  She suggested putting a new hatchling under her when it was dark.

This has worked.  Sunday has adopted one of the chicks and was taking it out for a scratch around today.

So our little home brood has grown.  The children have already chosen names for the chicks as follows: "Monday", "Feathers", "Chip", with two still to be named.