Just a quick addendum to my last post, on the topic of the hen-incubated clutches of eggs. The estimated due date for these hatches was this past Saturday.
Of Okoye’s three remaining eggs, one was stolen and disappeared entirely (still no clue as to the culprit), one was crushed and revealed to be rotten, and one turned out to be unfertilized.
So that is a second failed round of brooding for Okoye (she tried, fruitlessly, last fall as well). She remains the Queen Anne among my chickens.
J-Bird (Luisa) had a clutch of six eggs. Four were revealed to be infertile when candled. (Infertile eggs remain clear, with only the yolk visible). Two looked ready to hatch so they were left with her.
And yesterday morning, amazingly, the loud chirps of a chick were heard coming from under her body!
A perfect Wyandotte chick.
Sadly, at this point, several lessons were learned. Yesterday was a day of multiple minor catastrophes and unexpected turns. Here are just the chick-related ones:
Round Midnight
Fascinating...not sure about hatching chicks in bra, but absolutely get the oxytocin rush