Monday is a Fine Day Too

And it is day two too.  Day two of chick hatching.

This morning when I went out to feed Ruby, she showed me that she had 4 babies.

When I took a little break from work around 11:15, I could hear her very plainly asking me for greens, and since she wouldn't come out to forage, I brought her handfuls of tender dandelion greens and clover.  She ate ravenously, while chicks hopped all around my hands to see what this new thing might be.  She hasn't been outside the enclosure to forage for three or four days now.  And yet, despite her obvious need for green nourishment, I noticed how careful she was around the chicks.  She would be eating in a frenzy, but when a curious chick would come between her and the food, she would check herself, go slower and more gently, eating around her offspring.

And yes, at 11:30 the count was 5 live chicks.  And one that didn't make it and had been carefully place away from the nest.  From that evidence I can see that she occasionally gets off the nest to move around her enclosure.  Mostly to clean house apparently, because the weeds in that area are untouched.

By my count there should be 4 more eggs left to hatch, but I will be jolly thrilled with any chicks I get, especially if they turn out to be hens.

I'll try to get pictures soon.

Well now, back to work.