Baby Chicks

We (meaning the hens) finally hatched baby chicks!!  We only kept the rooster in hopes that we could repopulate our supply of chickens naturally.  Well we had 3 hens sitting on eggs but not much was happening.  We were about to give up when finally two eggs (out of 12) hatched.  As soon as babies hatch, the mama desserts the rest of the eggs.  Well one egg was hatching so we took it to where the mama was and she pulled it under her and sat on it.  Within a couple of hours, it hatched, but didn't live.

Two days later one more baby hatched (out of 17).  This was the batch of eggs that two chickens were sitting on.  Neither would give it up so they sat together, sometimes on top of each other.  Once the baby hatched, they both left the nest to care for her.  We kinda joke about our alternative lifestyle hens, two moms and a baby.  Anyway, I went to clear out the rest of the eggs and when I got the basket inside, I heard a little "cheap" coming from the basket.  One egg was hatching and you could hear the cheaping inside.  We took that egg back to the mamas and it eventually hatched.  But again, it didn't make it.  So now we have 3 little baby chicks wandering around.

It's super cute to watch the hens with their babies.  They seem to be doing fine and hopefully will grow up to give me more eggs and maybe more chicks.  It has been a really neat experience to watch it all happen. ♥