Well, yesterday I was getting a tad worried. Three cockerels, two hens and not one fertile egg seemed a little unfair-however this morning when I went out to take a quick look I could see two egg shells. When we put down food, Spot got up to feed herself and there were four little chicks under her. One black, two white and one spot. I think that another shell was hatching, but didn’t want to get too close. Tomorrow I need to take her out of her bucket nest as she will be able to get out and in, but the chicks won’t be able to as they are too small and I can imagine them getting stuck outside the nest. The broody hen will stay sat for 24 hours after her chicks have hatched, after that she gives up on any unhatched eggs and starts to teach the young ones how to feed, so they will be up and moving around the barn.
I think that the other one should be hatching soon now. Our barn will be (hopefully) quick a chicky-nursery.
We were going to head down to the Romeria yesterday afternoon (village picnic), however we were engrossed in piles of laundry and didn’t make it. Our clothes had been rained on when it rained when we had no tiles on the house roof, and they were going mouldy, so we had to wash everything. Yesterday was the first day when we could get everything out and washed and dried quickly. Friday it was so cold I was thinking of lighting a fire!
Part of the reason why it took so long was that we spent quite a lot of time debating not only who had bought certain items of clothing, but for what purpose (to wear, craft or fancy dress). Neither of us would own up to the corduroy jump suit, for instance, or one or two other strange items which no doubt made perfect sense when we did buy them (charity shops or jumble sales). Remarkably, however, we found a very nice fleece which we both claimed, with distinct memories of the purchase, of which, mine, of course, is the correct version.
Update:
One new black chick has hatched, so that makes 5. Two white and spotty, one white, one black and one black with white markings on his head. Nothing from the other hen yet.