Baby chick Ruth turned one week old yesterday. Yes, we called the chick Ruth, we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, but it’s staying. It’s a lovely little thing. We’ve enjoyed watching it learn from Margaret, it’s all very simple but wonderful.
The other eggs didn’t hatch. I don’t know why, but that’s nature.
We can’t let baby Ruth out in the garden yet because he/she is too small and might get carried off by a hawk or something. It’s true, Adam once saw a Sparrowhawk loitering near the cars.
Margaret has been cooped up (literally) for well over a week now, so I thought, if she wanted to she could pop out for a bit, and I could chick-sit.
She grabbed a mouthful of grass and, keeping one eye keenly trained on baby Ruth, she wandered along. Unfortunately the eye that wasn’t on baby Ruth was prime target for a fearsome pecking from her ginger twin, Belinda. I don’t know why she attacked, but she did, and there was a full-on big ol’ clash of the gingers.
The other chickens were shocked, April went to hide, I shouted ‘Stop it!’ and Sasha, seeing her chance, ran in and pecked Belinda right on the head. Ha!
I shooed Belinda away and scooped Margaret up, putting her back in the run. I felt sorry for her with her bleeding eyelid, being broody has made her weak, she sat down and tucked baby Ruth under her wing.
I made her some oats with honey and seeds, dug her some worms, and gave Belinda a fierce glare.
Maybe we should have a sweepstake? Do you think Ruth looks like a boy or a girl?