Egg update! Okay so we candled at 8 and 14 days, definite development in 7 out of 8 eggs. The one with no development we cracked open at day 14 and there was just nothing in there... Just a busted yolk, and weirdly enough, a couple of ants =\ My partner cracked the egg, and she assured me that the bowl was completely clean before doing so, so the two ants were definitely inside the egg. Is that... A normal thing that can happen? The egg was quite porous, so maybe they somehow made their way in as microscopic eggs themselves... We just don't know. But nonetheless, Little Star is one egg down.
The cracked egg seems to be doing okay, though it's certainly developing more slowly than the others... There's an obvious and huge difference between our first candling (day 8) and our most recent (day 14), so something has been growing... But it seems about 5-8 days behind the others just in terms of what we can see, so I'm not hugely hopeful. It did seem to move though, so maybe it'll beat the odds and come through - Who knows?
There was one egg in particular that had a *lot* of movement, and we watched it's little feet, completely mesmerised, for a minute or so. That was certainly the biggest and most active. It's pretty amazing to watch these little babies grow inside their shells all this time, and especially cool to see our young girl being so dedicated to bringing about these new lives.
Her sister, Chai, has been caught sitting on the eggs herself while Little Star comes down for a feed. Started out quite cute, until yesterday when Chai didn't want to give the eggs back, and they were both screeching, flapping, and pecking at each other until I intervened and picked Chai up off the eggs and put her back in the run. Little Star has a few scratches on her face, and had some blood around her earlobe and eye, so I wiped it off for her, made sure she was okay, and let her back to it.
I'm certain Little Star will see this through to the end, and I'm mainly worried she'll stay broody even after they hatch! Hahaha. She's really taken a shine to it. She doesn't let my partner touch her at all these days, preferring to fluff up, screech like a banshee, and strike like a cobra. But she doesn't seem to mind my touch at all, even seemingly finding it soothing when I pet her and tell her how well she's doing. I think she thinks I'm the rooster, and the babies are mine! Hahaha xD She will let my partner touch her if I'm petting her at the same time, and talking to her, but as soon as I move my hand away - *CHOMP!* It's really quite funny, and I can't help but take it as a compliment, because I'm The Chicken Whisperer =P
Any hints or tips on helping maximise survival rate and healthy chicks under a broody from 14 days onwards are greatly appreciated - It is the first time for every single one of us, and I am a nervous daddy as it is! I can't imagine having children of my own - Such a rollercoaster! But for now I will be the capable and helpful baby-daddy Little Star seems to think I am =P So, y'know, any experienced hatchers out there, we would all value your input.
Cheers!
