Friday, June 07, 2013

The only child

So after three weeks of sitting on a nest on top of the stone foundation, Emma showed up in the barn today with a total of one chick...


Whaddaya mean you can't see it? It's right there!




See? Legs!

I will work on better pictures later.

There are three eggs left in the nest but apparently Emma is done. She made her little one do a death-defying 9-foot leap off the wall to the barn floor. I had put a kiddy pool full of straw under the area in hopes of cushioning the chick's fall but who knows if it had any effect?

Last summer she surprised us by showing up one day with 11 chicks! We didn't even know she was on the nest that time. This time I knew where she was and was ready for anything. Somehow I think we're going to have a lot left over from that humungous back of chick starter feed we bought yesterday.

Meanwhile, there is a duck nest in their coop, with nine eggs so far. I'm waiting for somebody to start sitting on it. The ducks have been on lockdown in the barn while we are having the outdoor run roofed over (corncrib wiring as the roofing.) We're sick of losing birds to predators. Now we have a massively overbuilt outdoor chicken/duck run that I try to justify by saying it can be the machine shed when we buy a new tractor. Pics to follow. It's ridiculous.

We'll see how little chick does. Then we can play "Who's the daddy?"


14 comments:

  1. Enjoyed your post. I happily live the completely urban life, but I love to visit the country.

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  2. Those are the cutest chicken feet ever!

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  3. You're losing birds to predators? How many? Any of the star chickens or ducks? I'm sorry to hear about your predator problems.

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  4. 1? Only 1? Now that must be Mommy's Golden chick!!!!

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  5. Nine duck eggs! Yippee...!!

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  6. Love the babies. Who cares what it looks like as long as they remain safe. All the more room for more birds.

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  7. Awww I see the little legs poking out! Emma is a really pretty hen! Sounds like you've been doing a lot of work to the run. Sorry you've been having predator problems, I bet that is horrible :(

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  8. Sweet how the chick nestles under mommy. At the Wildlife Rehab Center, they hang feather dusters next to the heat lamp for the little ducklings and chicks to gather under.

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  9. Sometimes it just happens does it not? I have ad a buff and a Sussex sitting on 13 eggs between them and only 4 hatched

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  10. Love the enclosed run; needs no justification. Let those hawks break their toenails. Fox, too.

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  11. I just love living vicariously through your posts. Maybe when I retire I can get some chickens and ducks and.... the whole thing. You are a lucky girl.

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  12. Ah, bless her. After so many babies last year the poor old girl needed to take it easy.
    Jane x

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  13. Aww! hopefully the little chick will be OK :-)

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  14. Anonymous11:20 pm

    Cute!

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!