Better late than never

One happy bantam and her new chick.

Twenty-two days ago, the Little Black Bantam was busy sitting on two eggs. For seventeen days she sat, moving only to turn her eggs every half hour. Then, on Day Eighteen, along came the Big Impatient Bantam, who had been eyeing up the eggs for weeks. With one swift peck, the Big Impatient Bantam kicked the Little Black Bantam off the eggs. All the Little Black Bantam could do was watch from the nesting box next door.

On Day Twenty-One, one of the two eggs hatched. The Little Black Bantam had barely any time to admire little Colonel before the Big Impatient Bantam whisked the chick off to the Brooding Box. The Little Black Bantam moved onto the one remaining egg, just in case.
Her perseverance paid off. The Little Black Bantam's wish finally came true. The lonely egg hatched this morning, on Day Twenty-Two. The rest of the gossipy bantams are thrilled at the new addition to the family. They have named the little chick De Lay.

Hatching plans...

Introducing McNugget...

McNugget, front centre, Benedict, left rear, and Scramble,
front left inside the egg.

McNugget's slightly younger sibling Benedict...

Benedict, front left, and Scramble, centre rear inside the
egg.

Scramble, still hatching...

Scramble, and shell.

And their estranged sibling Colonel...

Colonel

Colonel was fostered as an egg to a broody bantam who, after months of trying to hatch a golf ball, was excited to have a viable egg. Two days before Colonel hatched, a chicken coup took place, and Colonel's foster mother was evicted from the nesting box. A larger, less patient bantam seized the opportunity to go broody just before the egg hatched. Colonel now lives with two mothers, inside the chicken coop.

Colonel's siblings were hatched inside an incubator, and are currently sharing a bedroom in the farmhouse. Mr Farmer is of the opinion that they ought to be sent to live in foster care with Colonel, despite the slightly unstable family situation.