YOu should see the face my old mare makes at the chickens that dare steal her food--she tolerates the chicken with bared ears and snaps at the creature who pays no attention. Lucky chickens-- if it had been a dog, it would have felt the full effect of those strong teeth. ( No dogs allowed in her paddocks, ever. )I hear cheeping mine shouldn't hatch until tomorrow yep having a cabinet incubator is bad I can fit almost 300 eggs in mine tetris is difficult because of how far the shelf tilts but I stagger the hatches trying to miss events I want to go to..I'm missing a trail ride because I didn't count the days so maybe I need a bit more work on my chicken math LOL After this hatch I will be able to use my turner I must have been going through chick withdrawal I set everything I could. I have 5 broodies as of today one tore chunks out of my hand to get the eggs I will wear my thick gloves tomorrow and trade out her eggs for some I need hatched same with 2 others one will keep what she has and I'll give the other one some I want. These are experienced gals so my plan should work. I have the cutest EE gal who is very good at hiding her pretty eggs but my dog saw her and told me where she was (clever dog I have) and she loves my black Ameracauna guy so hopefully he's the papa and I have a first timer she just has 3 eggs who knows Marans sometimes just stop at 10-12 days so we'll see. I really need to set up a broody battery as I prefer my replacement birds to be chosen from hen raised chicks I just haven't thought out a good plan so instead I put mine in dog kennels after the chicks are hatched I put them in a small pen inside of the regular one then in 2 weeks they go out with everyone my hens continue to mother them forever it that common? I kept several pullets that 2 hens raised and they still mother them..... I think I must be crazy except I have more orders for chicks than what I'm going to hatch customers want girls and I'm hatching for boys wow I lucked out this go round.....I do wish I had a cam set up today I'm throwing the dogs rib bones and Doghouse Dolly my Delaware gal runs up flapping her wings and steals a rib away from my dog I have 3 Jack Russel's who did like to harass my chickens but I've taught them it's much better to leave them alone....Dolly really didn't want the bone she traded it out for a piece of fat....she still goes in their dog house but she hasn't ever laid an egg in there Delawares are very entertaining. Dolly goes everywhere with me in the morning when I'm doing my chores except way out to feed horses but the stall horses she's like inspecting how much I give them and at night she has to sample their grain buckets until I put the beet pulp in that she doesn't like.....then she hops up into her escape spot and goes back in her coop I can't bear to close it up she works and works until she can get out someplace well nite all I hope to keep caught up with you