We have chicks

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We have chicks.


I arrived home from London and late and knackered on Wednesday. The other side of the valley was still flooded with sunlight. Wonderful June where getting home after nine still lets you have some of the day.
"I've got a surprise for you. "
"What?"
"Well it's the colour of scrambled egg for a clue."
There were two tiny chicks huddled amongst the eggs when we lifted the chicken. She squawked protestingly. They were so tiny and yellow and fluffy they seemed almost too chick-like to be true, like fancy dress chicks, Disney chicks, surely they should look wetter, scrawnier, more like chicks from the school of hard knocks, but no, there they were so perfect you could have put them on an Easter cake.
Today there are another three, all five still firmly under the hen, for warmth I presume. I have put a chick water holder in there, specially designed to let out only a little so that they don't fall in and drown, and chick crumbs too. For the first twenty four hours or so a chick does not need to feed, living still on the nourishment from the egg, but now the older ones should be ready to take something. I am crossing my fingers and relying on the hen to sort it all out although as far as I can see she is just sitting there as determinedly as though they were all still eggs.
There are another seven eggs in the nest and presumably at some point a decision has to be made as to whether they will hatch or not but so far so good.

Comments

  1. Anonymous6 June 2008 at 15:23

    Wow! Absolutely adorable. Amy would love them!

    CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maggie Christie6 June 2008 at 15:38

    Oooh! Now I have got chick envy as well as hen envy (or should that be henvy?) Anyway totally and utterly adorable! What a clever hen. I just just hear all the lovely deep mummy hen clucks (and no, not just from you!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Milla6 June 2008 at 16:03

    I don't get the hen thing normally but THAT is very sweet indeedy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chris Stovell6 June 2008 at 16:38

    Good! I've been looking forwards to seeing the family - so glad you were able to post pictures of them - now laughing at Mag's 'henvy'!

    ReplyDelete
  5. mountainear6 June 2008 at 16:45

    Definitely got chick envy. Lucky you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kim6 June 2008 at 16:59

    How wonderful! They are so cute.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Zoë6 June 2008 at 17:00

    Awwww, bet you are thrilled and a whole weekend to spend admiring your new additions!

    Elizabeth, I can't find your email address for love nor money, I wanted to send you some suggestions about Roses that might be beefy enough for your conditions, but I cant :( Drop me a mail to: zoelynch at unknowndomain dot co dot uk

    Zoë xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jan7 June 2008 at 14:33

    What a lovely homecoming...both the chicks AND the valley still sunlit late in the evening..

    ReplyDelete
  9. Frances8 June 2008 at 01:27

    Love the pictures, and can just about imagine how nice a surprise it must have been to return to home and get the news from the nest.

    Please do keep us up to date.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. laurie8 June 2008 at 12:24

    that is so lovely!

    but i'm not entirely sure it's tactful to mention scrambled eggs around a baby chick....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Moonroot8 June 2008 at 16:37

    Congratulations, they're gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cait O'Connor8 June 2008 at 21:57

    Aaaaaaahhhh....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pipany10 June 2008 at 19:24

    Oh wonderful Elizabeth. What a lovely thing to come home to. They are so sweet and tiny when born and yet look at mum! Have fun xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kitty10 June 2008 at 21:51

    Whence my comment? I know I left one. H is entranced with the chicks. Me too!

    ReplyDelete

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