Golden chick

There's always something to look forward to here!

We've had an awful time this year with broody hens and ducks. Lots of them sitting on lots of eggs (which we then, of course, can't eat or give to our friends etc) and then not producing v. much. So far, Daffodil did her best and hatched one: the black bantam tried hard and hatched two (normal hen) chicks and then the other bantam really excelled herself and hatched a solitary - though lovely - one. In all that time, probably a good 6 dozen eggs were 'wasted' (30 for the bantam beauty alone). And that's not to mention the ducks. So we won't - for now.

I was therefore none too impressed when I discovered that one of the Buff Orpingtons (Honey) in the Orchard had decided to suddenly go broody. Nonetheless, two weeks ago I moved her from there to the broody coop and resigned myself to the possibility of one more chick --- from the 12 eggs we moved with her.

So it was a lovely surprise to go out on Friday morning last week and find Honey fussing around 4 little chicks..... and then to suddenly see another one pop out of the broody coop.....! So 5 little chicks.... and one of them is our very first Golden chick. Already named ---- Goldie. Aaahhhh. Clearly a male, cos he's quite precocious and already today, just four days later, he was escaping from the safety of the broody pen and had to be rescued......

A few days after Honey decided to go broody, her sister Syrup promptly started sitting on a nest.

So, a week or so ago we moved her - with 16 eggs.

Wonder what she'll produce?

Not a lot, I would guess, because within the first day of moving she'd already deserted half the eggs..... Probably end up with another solitary chick..... but all will be forgiven if it's another golden bird!