While we all wait for Mrs FP's eggs to hatch, may I tell you about my latest hatch? A month ago, my Serama hen was sitting on 5 eggs in the workshop. I don't know eggzactly what went wrong, but as they were hatching, one died of cold, and we came within minutes of losing the other 4 the same way. I hustled the chicks and eggs into the incubator (which fortunately was already plugged in and heated up) and the hen wound up being put in a large plastic tote in the living room. The chicks warmed up, the remaining eggs hatched, soon the incubator was a lively and cheerful place! We were a little uncertain whether Momma would take the chicks back, after we had disturbed her so much. The next morning, we tried putting the chicks in with her, and it was like they had been there all along. I really didn't expect to have an adult chicken as a houseguest, but this little family couldn't go back out.
DD has really enjoyed watching this hen and her chicks interact. One day, she picked a handful of Chickweed, and put it in the tote. One of the chicks started toward it, but Momma gave him a warning peck and made a sound like, "Hold it! Let me check this out first!" She examined it, tasted it, and began clucking, "oh, this is good! Get over here and try it!"
This hen may weigh less than a pound, but she is one protective mother. One of our cats will never go near that tote again!
One time, I heard the hen making a loud alarmed sound. I hurried over to the tote to see what she was so worried about. She was standing in the middle of the tote, with 3 of her chicks huddled in one corner behind her. In front of her, the food dish was upside down, and moving! She was very relieved when I righted the dish and rescued her chick.
The most unexpected thing about this whole adventure has turned out to be the hen herself. SHE CROWS! It's not quite the full, lusty crow of mature rooster, but she does a better job than her 2-month-old sons. The first time I heard her, I almost fell off my chair in surprise.
The hen has just started laying eggs again. I don't know if her month old chicks are quite ready to be on their own without her, but I know I don't want Mr. Roo in the house. Her crowing is bad enough, I am not prepared to listen to his all day and half the night! So, I guess her eggs will just go unfertilized for a while.
It's been fun. Crazy, but fun!
