Sad News Today

This afternoon I went out to the chicken coop to feed the chickens and was unfortunately faced with some sad news. I had one of my bantam hens (theses are like the chihuahuas of chickens, furry and cute) sitting on one of my bantam eggs. This hens name is Pomp, her matching bantam friends name is circumstance (get it?). I could have had her sit on more than 1 egg but I really did not want a lot of new chickens plus I was not sure if she would actually sit on the egg until it hatched. I also should have had her in a totally separate cage as well (per Mr. (Rodney) Maurer so the other hens couldn't get to the egg and she would be pretty much forced to stay on her egg.

Pomp on her nest.

Well basically I did not do what I was supposed to do and today I suffered the consequence (or at least Pomp did). My little egg (its truly little, only a bit bigger than a thumb) had been pecked at and the shell was broken. The egg would have hatched in the next week or 2. Pomp, ever the protective mother was off her nest for the first time in weeks. I sadly removed the broken egg. What made it even worse was when I checked the coop one last time before heading inf or the night and seeing Pomp sitting on her nest of golf balls awaiting a little chick.

This is my first experience with (attempting) hatching chicks from eggs so I am not sure how I will proceed. I think she will stay broody (this is the state the chicken is in when she sits on a nest to hatch a chick) until she actually hatches a chick. I will probably get let her sit on another egg or just buy a little chick and stick it under her and hope she thinks its hers. We shall see. Regardless today is a sad day for me and Pomp.

RIP little Pompette.