Around the yard

I set Mama Hen three weeks ago this past Wednesday, and marked the calendar for chicks to hatch two days ago.  Because that hen hatched thirteen chicks last year, I put thirteen eggs under her:  One got broken at some point, leaving twelve, so I was hoping for an even dozen.  Wednesday morning the first chicks had hatched, and other eggs showed signs of life.  By Wednesday evening when Cliff and I were out at the little house that serves as home to Mama Hen and her brood, there were only nine.  I put the other eggs to my ear one at a time, but didn't hear any pecking or peeping.  Still, I placed them back under the hen, hoping for the best.  

"You should have just tossed those eggs," Cliff said.  "Even if they do hatch, they'll be behind the others and might not live."  

I ignored his advice (that's nothing new), and next morning there were eleven chicks, leaving only one egg unhatched.  I did toss that one; I didn't have the heart to check and see if there was a chick in it, though.  I went to check on the family this morning, and had to peek inside their house because it's raining... and the chicks aren't going to be stepping outside into the soaked grass at their tender age.

 Most of the chicks are snugly tucked beneath Mama, coming out only to eat or drink.  While I was in the area, I remembered that a Facebook friend asked me yesterday if I still had Chickie, a chicken I raised in the house two years ago, in a cardboard box.  I did get rid of most of my chickens last winter, but I couldn't let my pet go.  I figured this would be a good time to take a picture of her.  As luck would have it, I caught her on the nest laying an egg!

Maybe you would like to see what kind of shape my garden is in:

The only plants I've had a problem getting to come up are the bush-type cucumbers and melons.  Even after two plantings, I only have two bush cucumber plants.  I think it's time I plant some plain, old-fashioned, space-hogging, vining cucumbers.