Our black australorp started setting a few weeks ago. We've gone out to the nestbox several evenings to candle the eggs with the kids.
After swimming this evening, we went to fetch the last of today's eggs and were greeted with a lovely chorus of cheeps.
Out of the 15 or so eggs, 3 have hatched so far. There are two solid black chicks, and one is yellow with gray/black spots.
We only have one polish crested rooster, and several of the hens have been sharing the same nest box. This nice mama hen has been looking after everybody's eggs! It's like we have our own little FLDS chicken commune.
The kids are overjoyed. The baby even squealed and couldn't stop pointing. This is the first time we've ever hatched our own chicks here at home (others were school projects or mailorder.)
They'll stay in a rubbermaid in the foyer until they start to poop a lot, their chirping gets annoying, and/or the "newness" rubs off. Then they'll go outside to the brooder box in the dairy barn.
All in all, another exciting summer day.
