It happens I guess

I was going to forget the whole thing, not even mention it. But then I realized, it's all part of it, so I should share.

Yesterday my husband was in the barn, hanging herbs for drying, while I was on the other side of the barn cleaning out the goat pen when I found half an egg shell. Normally I would have ignored it and tossed it in with the straw I was pulling out, instead I picked it up and saw that the inside had this white, dry skin in it. I called my husband over to look at it. You think Mother hen hatched one out? I asked, he thought it looked that way. Mother Hen is one of our bannies, she had taken up nesting in the goat pen. My husband and I stood there listening, and we heard it. I bent down to sooth Mother hen, and she went all rooster on me, hissing and puffing up, threatening to take my eyes, I managed to get my hand under her wing, and there it was. We have our first homestead hatched chick!As it has been getting below freezing, and the fact the Mother hen does not want to go into the coop, where she would be safer from predators, we thought it best to bring the little guy inside. Mother Hen is so determined to sit on the remaining 6 eggs {2 green, 2 brown, 2 bannie} that we weren't sure if she was getting the chick to food and water. We brought the chick, who was hatched out of a standard size brown egg, into the house. Setting up a quick box brooder with shredded paper, a waterer and some food. We hung a heat lamp over the top. My boys were thrilled about it.

With all the chicks we have brooded inside, we have never had a problem like this one. At 2 am I hear my husband hitting the floor, I jumped up wondering what had happened. GARFIELD! Then me cursing and spring over my husband off the bed. I chased the cat through the house, and caught up with him in my youngest sons room, under the bed. The chick was dead.

More cursing, and disposing off our first homestead hatched chick. We have never had this problem before. The cats had always stayed clear of the chicks. Maybe because it was solitary? I don't know, I only know I am not happy. My husband says he will go about building a caged brooder so this won't happen again.