Papette, posing.	Papette sitting on her eggs.	Papette in her straw-filled box.

July 29, 2006: Papette is sitting on her eggs - all SEVEN of them!  I had no idea she was still laying, as it's so late in the summer, but I suppose I should have been clued in when I found a marble-sized egg by her feed dish.  She is clucking contentedly, and Louis is more defensive than ever.

July 30, 2006:  Papette is still trying for  more chicks!  I'm sure that she's very confused about the fuss I'm making over her, or why I stuck the camera in to take pictures of her (Louis seemed puzzled by this, too!) but she definitely knows what she's doing.  Every now and then, I see her ponderously lift herself up and turn all the eggs around, so the yolks inside don't stick to the shell.  There is always one egg outside of her feathers, every few minutes or so, she rotates this one back in, so all will have a chance to develop.  I'm planning to candle them later.

July 31, 2006:  I shoved some straw in the box, and it seems Papette has accepted the "gift," as she spread it all over the box - under her precious eggs, of course.  Candling date is set for the sixth of August, if nothing else interferes. (The Ventura County Fair, which is a major date for me as well as my lamb, pygmy goats, and chickens, starts on the second of August.  If you are in the area, I greatly encourage you to come and see my chickens up close and personal!)

August 3, 2006:  The chicks should be hatched by August 18, give or take a day.  Can't wait!!  Papette is staying faithful to her eggs, despite Louis's being absent for a few days, he being busy at the Ventura County Fair and all.

August 5, 2006: Papette doesn't bother to fluff up her feathers when I come by anymore, so I'm hoping she understands I "come in peace" to the nestbox, after all, I am hoping for more hens from this hatch.  Candling is tomorrow morning, in the garage.  Will post results then. . .

August 6, 2006:  5 out of 7 eggs were fertile!!!  Usually Papette and Louis have approximately a 50% fertility rate, but this is (hopefully, cross your fingers!) a good hatch!  When I was candling them (many thanks to Kitty Beckmann for lending me the candler!), I had my whole family for an audience and we saw the chicks inside move.  That was a truly unique experience, and I felt like I was the mom.  But all the credit goes to Papette, who is truly dedicated to her forming chicks.  Louis is coming home tonight, and I hope he'll be impressed with his wife's hard work.

August 16, 2006: Nothing much has changed since I last wrote, except that Louis is back at home, duly impressed with Papette's dedication, and friendly as always.  Papette remains sitting on her eggs.  I added more hay yesterday, and she sorted through the ones she liked and the ones she didn't, throwing the reject straws outside of the box. I wondered why she liked some pieces better than others. . . but who could understand how a chicken thinks, anyway?

A hatching egg. .	Papette and her first chick	SHHHH. . . they're sleeping!	CHARGE!  Papette rushed at me after I took the camera too close to her precious babies.

 August 19, 2006: Two chicks have hatched!  They haven't quite gotten control of their legs, yet, so they somersault around in the straw while Papette watches the camera suspiciously- especially when it flashes.  Papette is still sitting on her other eggs, though.

August 20, 2006: The chicks now enjoy hopping out of the box and wandering around.  An egg is cracked, and I can hear the frantic peeping coming from inside.  Papette is taking more breaks now, and sometimes seems confused over whether the eggs or the chicks are her first priority.  She is getting very defensive, though, and Louis had to be put in solitary confinement for trying to peck his own child.  I don't think two of the eggs are going to hatch, they seem much lighter than the cracked one.

Jealous Louis tried to peck one of his chicks in front of me and Papette.  Papette pecked him and hustled her precious babies off to the nestbox, while I snatched Louis and threw him in the cell (aka the PetPorter).

August 23, 2006: Louis remains in the PetPorter, but I let him out every now and then, to stretch his legs.  Papette is becoming the busy mother, and I am now also regarded as a threat- in fact, every time I stick my hand too far into her territory (aka the cage) she starts clucking frantically and herding her children to a far corner of the cage, away from my grasping hand.  Every time she sees me, she puffs up like a turkey and indignantly squawks.

September 9, 2006: Papette is very thin and tired, but is ever vigilant of her chicks' whereabouts.  She constantly clucks to them, and (still) whenever when I am near, she puffs up in defensive posture.  Her chicks are developing feathers now.  The chicks are getting colder, faster now with the first breath of winter already here at night.  Thus, as early as six o'clock, the chicks nestle under mama Papette in the cozy, straw lined box.