It's March 1 and my hatching story only gets stranger!
I've been checking the nest a silly amount since Saturday when I was sure 21 days had passed.
Mima, my broody beautiful silkie has been the most patient hen in the world.
During the first week she was sitting on a clutch, I impulsively added an olive egg (later that week my only olive egger was killed by a predator). All the while the supposed "21 days" were counting, Mima's daughter Peaches had been laying eggs in secret into Mima's nest. That further confused the issue.
I still firmly believe that Mima started on Feb 4th. I've been wrong before and I will be wrong again. I'm not even trying to figure it out.
I had to go out of the house/property today, got home around 4 p.m.
I had an extra egg carton in hand, had placed the flashlight and cardboard cut-out to sit the eggs on because I was next to certain that something was not making sense.
In addition to the eggs Mima started with, after pushing out a few bad ones, then Plus the olive egg I'd added, Plus the ones Peaches laid in the same nest I thought it was time to sort it all out.
So, egg carton in hand, I go to the nest and hear the characteristic peeping...
There was one dry fluffy beautiful chick under Mima!
Since the nest box was set up to prevent other chickens from climbing in and to avoid the nest getting filled with poop I used a produce crate of light weight wood turned on its side, top horizontal to the floor. Once I discovered the little person I changed out boxes, made a comfie new bed of herbs and such, food and water inside and moved the eggs one at a time, then Mima and then the chick.
I still have no idea if there will be more arrivals. I hope so...but I also said (and meant) that I'd feel very blessed if even one hatched.
Now I'm trying to re-figure out how to load pics I took a little while ago.
WooHoo!!!
