Update on the Bucket 'O Chicken

Do you remember Bucket "O chicken?

You know! The one who laid eggs in a bucket on my front porch and cackled for all the world to hear about her success!

Well, one day we took the bucket from her, by accident really not from meanness, we needed it to haul feed in it.

 Poor old Bucket Chicken pushed her little egg back into the corner, between a bucket full of tools and an old cook stove she settled down onto it and commenced to get broody! For a week she sat there on her egg, hissing at us if we came near and terrorizing the wiener dog till the Wiener Dog developed a nervous condition. She pecked a hole in the egg by accident, but still protected it fiercely. After a week it started to get quite sad, as the hole got bigger and Bucket Chicken got meaner and the Wiener Dog began to twitch and grumble as if talking to herself when ever she had to walk past the wanabe mom. Someone had to step in!

The kids and I took a vote on who should separate the "chicken from the egg'!

 Wow! In hindsight I made a big mistake right there, letting them vote, the little people out numbered me 3 to 1. I was voted most likely to succeed in a grab and move of one mean broody hen. I was told that I had been elected because I was less likely to cry when pecked, they told me this after the fact as they shook their heads in sad disappointment.

Anyway I grabbed, she growled, she pecked, I yelped...Oh, and we moved her to broody hen heaven...

...and with fertile eggs and plenty of them!

OK, she was not happy at first!

But after checking out the front yard she decided the neighborhood was not so bad. Soon she was inside and growling at anything that moved out side her box.

Then today...

tiny wet chick next to mom

..peeping from the nest box! Let's have a closer look...

..still wet and ooky!

A little closer look a few hours later, fluffy yellow bit under Bucket Mom's chin.

At sunset I counted four more eggs chirping and cracking. I hope all goes well tonight and hopefully more and better close ups tomorrow.

By the way Bucket Chicken is sooo happy! She clucks softly and non stop to her new little Bucket Chick!

She seems almost proud to show her off to the family...Oh, but not the Wiener Dog, whenever she comes too close Bucket Chicken  fluffs up and growls "You want some of this, Hot Dog!".

Update on the Update

Chick hatching, see the hole?

The egg on the left is about to hatch.

"Your are such a good momma chicken, Bucket Chicken!", said boy.

"She likes it when I tell her that"

Three fluffy chicks, I count six total with the ones under her and more still hatching on night 2!

Wow! 48 hours of labor...well sort of!