Fruit loop, my trusty broody silkie, has been setting on Amerucana bantam eggs and they hatched yesterday. Out of 10 eggs 6 hatched. There were 4 left in the nest late yesterday when she got off the nest with the chicks. One had started to pip so I put the light on it to keep it warm. I figured it counldn't hurt. Fruit never went back to the nest all night and this morning I took the nest box out as ants were starting to get in it and set it to the side so I could throw the leftover eggs away as I figured they weren't going to hatch. The pipped egg was the same as yesterday so I thought it had died. I got busy and forgot the eggs until later. When I went back out to get the eggs to throw away the pipped egg had hatched and the chick was just drying off. I put it under Fruit and it's doing fine. The egg had not had a hen on it for 24 hours, only the light. I can't believe it hatched. This chick is a fighter. I guess the hot weather helped it make it. I did lose 2 chicks, 1 got smashed and the other died soon after hatching. So, Fruit Loop has 5 chicks to mother, her favorite past time. Here's a picture of the proud Mama.
