We tried a big hatch this summer -- we're hoping for a couple of hens to add to our aging flock. In early July we set 9 fertile eggs under our trusty broody hen Fancypants Johnson. She is seven years old and this will be her fourth time as a mother!
Since we don't have a rooster, we bought fertile eggs from a small farm in Bellingham where they have a variety of standard hen breeds that they cross with Silkie and Auracana roosters. The eggs were multicoloured -- white, pale blue, and brown. We wanted hens that look unique have a variety of egg colours.
The hatch was not as successful as we had hoped. Four eggs broke under the hen over the last few weeks. Not sure if they were thin-shelled or if they were getting stepped on by other chickens trying to lay eggs in the nest or ... ? Two eggs didn't hatch -- were not fertile after all. So we ended up with 3 chicks -- hopefully at least one will be female. All have feathered legs and look to me like Silkie-crosses.
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| 1 day old! A blue, white and light brown egg hatched. |
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| Three days old in their new brooder. |
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| Silkie-cross breeds. We think Fancypants also is a Silkie-cross, which explains why she is broody every year (they are known for this). |
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| Learning to use the feeder. |
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| What's going on in there? |
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| Special time in the yard for the rest of the flock. |
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