Playing Freecell

I think I've mentioned before that I'm sadly lacking in skills in areas such as singing and catching a ball.  The other thing I'm totally hopeless at is that frustrating computer game Freecell.  The Boss is an expert at it, but for me it's as infuriating as trying to eat soup with a fork - I just can't do it.  The whole idea of planning half a dozen moves ahead drives me bonkers.

This is a worry really, as I'm facing a bit of a Freecell situation.  Last night's plan was to trade the eggs I've been incubating for the ones Figgy has been faithfully sitting on for past four days. Before doing the swap I candled my eggs and found the potential chick numbers have dropped to four.  The wee fellas were hopping around inside their shells - it was incredibly cool to watch.  The dilemma then became do we swap Figgy's nine eggs for my four, or do I stick it out for the remaining five days til hatching and leave Figgy with her brood?

To try to solve the problem I made a five egg fritatta for tea, and every egg I cracked open was fertile.  You can tell this by looking at the white spot on the egg yolk.  If it's small it's called a blastodisc and the egg is infertile.  If the spot is larger (sometimes with a ring around it) it's a blastoderm and the egg is fertile.  Since these five were all viable eggs, odds are that Figgy's nine are too.

The Boss and I decided to leave Figgy to do her thing. The consequences of this decision are making my head spin. 

My chicks will be born this Saturday, fingers crossed. They'll need a heated broody box for the next few weeks, then housing that will allow me to introduce them safely to the rest of the mob.

Figgy's babies will be born around January 27th, and can stay with her in her delux broody box for a week or two for starters.

Quince and her ten babies are thriving in the chick enclosure in the chook house.  These chicks are now three weeks old, and at about age six weeks will need a bigger home.

I think the solution is that The Boss needs to urgently build me a heated broody box, then over the next fortnight build a mobile enclosure that can go on our lawn for Quince's brood. That'll mean Figgy and co will be able to move into the existing chick enclosure.  No idea at all what I'll do with my three girls and a boy (providing my egg sexing proves correct) at that stage.

Who knew being a mother hen would prove to be such an organisational challenge.

What I've learnt today:
1. It's okay for a broody hen to choose not to eat and drink regularly while sitting on eggs, providing she's in good condition to start with.
2. It's time to up the piggles apple, rosemary and sage consumption in anticipation of a date with a butcher - not for Rosie, Golly or their cute brother Pickle of course!

P.S. Mother hen Quince has just laid me an egg. A new dilemma as she's currently eating chick mash like her babies, but needs layers mash for its extra calcium content, but that feed is no good for her chicks. What to do, what to do???!