I've had a difficult day. I feel I should have learn't something but I'm not convinced I have.
I looked in on the three witches this morning with food and water. Hinge and Bracket were sat on one pile and Nolia on the other. Two chicks were off the nests and exploring the coop. I know who hatched who and I was fairly amazed when one chicks hatched by Hinge went and slid under Nolia; not even the same nest box!
I think to myself, okay no problem it doesn't matter who looks after the chick as long as one of them does.
I go back an hour or so later. I don't open the coop door. I'm just sat outside watching.
There's a bit of agitated clucking and Hinge, Bracket and Nolia sort of tumble onto the ramp to the pop door and sort of eject the three chicks in the process.
They didn't go back! They marched the chicks off to the vegetable garden and after a bit of a scratch around settled down to some serious dust bathing. Sometimes one had all the chicks. Sometimes it was an even split.
I go back to the coop mainly because it needed a proper clean; it's been occupied for the last three weeks. There are three partially hatched chicks sort of hanging out of their shells. They're dead but uninjured.
No worries. If you decide, as I have, to let the hens decide about sitting and hatching, then you have to accept what happens. There are 13 eggs, including the three partially hatched. I know just by feeling the weight that there has been development. I had to trash the lot.
I checked on them a few times over the day; chicks were with all three. The hens weren't fighting.
Tonight at roost time they all got back to the coop and had settled down underneath it.
The chicks can't do the ramp. I put one chick in the coop and all three hens pile into the coop and into one nest box with the chick! There are still two chicks outside and the hens showed no intent to go back out.
I catch another chick and pop it in. Nope, hens haven't taken the hint. I evict Bracket from the coop and the chick runs over and gets underneath her. Sorted! I think and go and sort Ruffles and Mel out for the night.
On my way back as I walked down the steps to the vegetable garden I register a cheeping sound but put it down to some birds that live in one of the bushes at the edge of the steps. When I get to the coop there is nobody outside.
Fortunately I know the chances of Bracket getting that chick up the ramp and into a nest on her own are not worth considering. It takes usually two or three nights, sometimes more, to get chicks sorted with the ramps here.
I open the back of the coop and prise the protest hens off the nest so I can count the chicks. There is no way to count by sliding your hand under them because they are in pile, semi sitting on top of each other.
There were only two chicks there. It was getting dark. The others had gone to roost.
I remembered the cheeping bush then and went to search the bush. Whenever I got close the chick stopped cheeping. I tried a few times then did something I learned from a guy in the chicken club here which has worked once before.
I got Notch out of his coop and placed him on the ground near the bush. The chick shot out of the bush and went straight under Notch. I am told this only works with roosters. I am told that if you use any hen except mother the chick won't come out.
I get the chick and put it in with the rest. Hinge, Bracket and Nolia look at me like, where did that come from?
I think tomorrow is going to be difficult as well.
