Soooo, I have a BIT of a problem. Something has come up, and I need to go out of town next week, the WHOLE week. It is not something i can put off, and my whole family must go.

That being said, some of you may remember that I am in the process of hatching my first clutch of eggs under two bantam hens. There are 11 eggs total (where did the 12th go?), and both little hens are together in a wood cage covered in screen, incubating the clutch.

A friend of mine is house sitting for us, feeding the horses, goats, chickens and indoor pets. But what a time to leave town. They are due to hatch mid next week! She knows a lot about horses, the goats are so low maintenance, the cats and dogs and parrot are easy enough to care for, and the chickens WOULD have been as well...now this! The sticky thing is, she is doing me a HUGE favor on such short notice, and I dont want to make anything inconvenient for her at all. The neighbors have chickens, but I wouldn't leave a pet FLY with them...everything they have dies.

I am expecting 1-3 chicks to hatch out, realistically. I currently have the hens together because they insist on it. Both in the same cage, with the cover off so they can hop out for food and water.

They seem to lose interest in the eggs when I do, but Should I separate them? Can they parent together, or will it cause a problem like i think it will?

What advice can I give her for if they hatch?

And what else do I do to set it up so its easy for her?????

Help, this is SUCH a sticky situation!