Zebedee was hatched on 22nd October but the last 24 hours was rather nail biting. Picture the scene, Doris Day has been sitting on the egg for 20 out of the 21 days. The egg had been candled and shown the chick growing nicely. Then, day 21, Doris stands up climbs on a perch and leaves the coop with the other hens. She continues to look rather too perky for a broody hen and stays out with the flock for 2 hours.

By this time I’ve picked up the Zebedee egg and warmed it in my sweaty hand in my coat pocket. After 10 mins I can feel the chick very active and obviously gearing up to hatch.

What to do…….

Called my hen keeping friend to beg an emergency incubator, called my mum (because that’s what you do).

Mum set off to come and build a DIY incubator or keep the egg warm somehow. Wartime spirit of can do in adversity kicking in.

Luckily my hen keeping friend turned up with an incubator as backup. Bless her.

By this time I’d managed to catch Doris and lock her back up in the coop - I popped Zebedee’s egg under her as she had sat down again. We left her alone and luckily she must have felt the chick moving and she went back to broody.

First thing the next day and Zebedee had emerged unscathed and probably unaware of the drama!

He (I think he’s a he) is a lovely cream and grey chick, very smart and active despite some nippy weather of late. Doris is as proud as ever of her chick.

Disaster averted.