why livestock sucks

Update on the chicken situation. After the moment of tremendous excitement of seeing the lovely fluffy cute little chicky we came crashing back down to earth with a vicious bump.

Another chick did indeed hatch but somehow got its poor little head bashed in. It was just about alive but looked as if it had either been seen to by its sibling or got injured in some weird chicken scratching incident. Cause and culprit unknown. Sean had to be a manly man and take it round the back of the garage to help it on its way.

Meanwhile we took the remaining 12 (yes 12) eggs away and wondered what to do as they had been in there under those chickens for some time. We tried holding a light up to them (candling is the proper technical term apparently). Then we tried gently shaking them by our ears to hear if there was any slooshy sounds. We were advised to do this carefully as a bad egg can go off like a grenade. We didn't want that to happen.

Any way we decided that they were all dud and Louise was putting them on the compost heap when one of the eggs went 'cheep'. She brought it in and yes we all heard it go cheap. So it was put in the airing cupboard over night. The next day, yes, there was a definite crack. The crack started to go all the way around and then bingo the top popped off and there was a little wet chicky. Any way to cut a long story short it had dodgy legs. Lou took it too her chicken guru to see if anything could be done. Sadly no and that little chicky was dispatched as well.

In the meantime the one healthy chick was ready to go out and about a bit. So off it went for a walk with its mothers. Who in their limited little chicken brains thought the paddock with the dog was the place to be...the rest you can guess.

So then there were none.

The dog still hasn't apologised.

Suffice to say when we come home and Sean gets his chickens they will be from Mrs Eglund the chicken rescue lady and there will be none of this egg hatching shenanigans.

11:83