First chicks

These are the first two to hatch in my incubator. There are now four in the broody box and two more drying out and fluffing up in the incubator. There is still one egg to go. It may be the last one won't hatch but I will  give it until tomorrow.
I love watching them hatch, it is a miracle each time. I am looking forward to my broody hen hatching her clutch too. It is great watching her bring out the fluff balls for the first time. She will be very protective and will sit with them under her wings if threatened. Chickens are fantastic mothers.
This is the first year for ages I have used the incubator. I only did so because none of the girls looked like they were going to become broody. The day after I set seven eggs she fluffed herself up, gathered all the eggs for the day and sat on them! Amazingly she is in the broody house. My chickens are in a small barn and they roost up on the ledges. They have a ladder to get up there. There are also six nest boxes on the floor that they use to lay eggs in. I put in a small broody house, raised off the ground with a ladder to enter, as they like to be tucked away when sitting. I close the door at night as we have a problem with rats living in the thick walls and they would steal her eggs from under her.
Hopefully all six chicks will survive. Maybe tomorrow it will be seven!