trevor

We got up early and checked for chicks. Quite a few hadn't hatched, but there were at least 7! Two had pipped but were showing no signs of breaking out of their shells. One in particular was still not out after having pipped the night before. Carrie and I decided to help him out. I broke off little bits of shell and tore back the membrane enough to get the wee thing out; there was blood and it certainly wasn't pretty, but he was out! It felt amazing that we'd helped to save his wee life. He didn't look the strongest, but we felt like we'd done the right thing. It was just a question of waiting now to see if he'd strengthen up.

Carrie headed off to get a new bulb for the heat lamp in the brooder. She had everything else ready; the box, the food tray, the water receptacle, everything. When she came back later she told us it was lucky that she didn't have cash with her as it was poultry day at the garden centre and she would've come home with two new pintades (guinea fowl)!

I stayed home with Elizabeth and Sarah and we spent the morning with Play-Doh! It's sad to say it, but I forgot how much fun it is :)

Carrie arrived back and we decided to help the other wee chick out of its shell that hadn't broken totally through yet. This one was worst than the first. I sort of felt like it would've been better to have left it as it looked so weak and lame. Friends of Carrie's called round that evening as we were having dinner; Guillaume, who has loads of experience with hens, took one look at the wee thing and gestured that we should put it out of its misery. To be honest, I felt the same way.

Luckily, Paddy, my sister's husband, showed a bit more compassion than the rest of us and he told us to leave it and see what would happen.

The first one I'd helped out though, Trevor, as I decided to call him (he could still turn out to be a she!!), was looking stronger by the hour and I got this picture of him before going to bed - standing up on his own two feet :)