How strange - lulu has hatched a chick but it is 6 days early!

[MehgaLegs]

Went to feed her this morning, she came running out and a wet fully formed chick fell from under her. Looks fine, strong, fully formed and was cheeping loudly.

I took the eggs from the not supposed to be broody rescue hen at the end of the garden, I collect the eggs from her everyday but maybe I missed this one and she started it off.

Now I have a problem of what to do with the other three eggs. They might be ready to hatch like the one that has, I shall leave them another day, otherwise they may not be ready until Thurs. Will Lulu stay on the nest and neglect the chick? Should I put the remaining three in my incy if they haven't hatched by tomorrow?

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

I would get the incy on standby and see how lulu manages.

Are they in the maternity ark? In which case the chick could wander about on it's own and lulu might stay put on the other eggs.

I lifted my broody off her eggs the other day, to put her out for food & water, only to find she'd acquired another 2 eggs - two weeks into the brood. I think the original 5 eggs are due to hatch tomorrow or Monday. I don't think it's worth putting just 2 eggs in the R-Com, it means I'll have 2 very young chicks when the others are all bouncing around and I'm not sure the broody would accept them 2 weeks after her main hatch. Grrr!

[MehgaLegs]

When I went back to her she had pecked a hole in one of the other eggs, very smelly so think it was a dud. She had kicked the other two out. One was empty and the other had a small newly formed chick in it.

Have cleared out nest box and she and her one little chick (Humble, named by DS2) are very happy. The chick has a curly toe but walks ok and doesn't seem bothered by it.

The rat is determined to get in. I have stood ark on the patio now as in the hour between me feeding them and the boys going out to play a rat had started to tunnel in under the meshed area.

[TheDuchessOfNork]

Rats are a bugger when there are chicks about. I've been stapling hard wire mesh around the bottom of the main layers pen as that's where my current broody is with 3 new chicks (maybe more but she's not budging off the remaining eggs!) and something has made a little tunnel through the existing, and rusting, chicken wire. It may just be mice but better safe than sorry.

Lulu should be safe enough on the patio. And will you stop giving your chickens names... no good will come of it!!!!

[TheDuchessOfNork]

Rats are a bugger when there are chicks about. I've been stapling hard wire mesh around the bottom of the main layers pen as that's where my current broody is with 3 new chicks (maybe more but she's not budging off the remaining eggs!) and something has made a little tunnel through the existing, and rusting, chicken wire. It may just be mice but better safe than sorry.

Lulu should be safe enough on the patio. And will you stop giving your chickens names... no good will come of it!!!!

[TheDuchessOfNork]

Rats are a bugger when there are chicks about. I've been stapling hard wire mesh around the bottom of the main layers pen as that's where my current broody is with 3 new chicks (maybe more but she's not budging off the remaining eggs!) and something has made a little tunnel through the existing, and rusting, chicken wire. It may just be mice but better safe than sorry.

Lulu should be safe enough on the patio. And will you stop giving your chickens names... no good will come of it!!!!

[TheDuchessOfNork]

Rats are a bugger when there are chicks about. I've been stapling hard wire mesh around the bottom of the main layers pen as that's where my current broody is with 3 new chicks (maybe more but she's not budging off the remaining eggs!) and something has made a little tunnel through the existing, and rusting, chicken wire. It may just be mice but better safe than sorry.

Lulu should be safe enough on the patio. And will you stop giving your chickens names... no good will come of it!!!!