She brought us 8 baby chicks....

[Heat]

One of our hens went astray almost a month ago. We just assumed she was broody somewhere (since this isn't the first time one of our hens went astray to be broody).

Well today our dogs were all excited and hoovering around a hen, who happened to be Apple (our stray chicken) with a bunch of little fuzzy chicks. Of course our hen freaked out and ran off and my hubby, who was home at the time, gathered up the chicks before the dogs could "play" with them and put the dogs away so the mama could come back out to get her babies.

Well... hubby gathered 6 chicks, reunited them with mama and found we have a total of 8 baby chicks

The 6 chicks he gathered

You can kinda see the little fuzz balls

Apple and her brood

 

[khoe]

Awwww!!! I love it!

 

[Heat]

Me too!!!!
I am very antsy to get home to see them (of course I was at work when hubby discovered them!)

 

[khoe]

Have you ever had a hen bring chicks back from an adventure? Nature sure is amazing!!

 

[Heat]

This is the first time any of my hens have successfully hatched any eggs, so this is all new!!
I love nature :-D

 

[khoe]

Awesome way to go, apple!! I hope one day to have some natural born chicks

 

[Heat]

I have had so many hens go broody, but they have all been in the coop and the other ladies were always disturbing them or adding eggs to the nest so none of them were able to hatch any of their eggs. I am beyond excited that she was able to do so without being bothered! I can't wait for the next batch (whenever it may be).

I didn't realize how exciting home hatched baby chicks were until today!

 

[moetrout]

One day I hope to experience this too. You are very fortunate indeed. Enjoy them while they are young! They will never be this cute again!

 

[Heat]

One day I hope to experience this too. You are very fortunate indeed. Enjoy them while they are young! They will never be this cute again!

I know! I can't get enough of their cute little fuzzy butts! They are so much smaller than any of the chicks I have bought and brought home (could be because the rooster is a Banty... so I am sure they will all be tiny chickens).

I am counting down the hours until I get to go home and watch them :-D

We gathered up all 8 chicks and mama last night and brought them into the coop where we set up an isolation area. that way our dogs can't bother them and neither can any of the flock.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I have had so many hens go broody, but they have all been in the coop and the other ladies were always disturbing them or adding eggs to the nest so none of them were able to hatch any of their eggs. I am beyond excited that she was able to do so without being bothered! I can't wait for the next batch (whenever it may be).

I didn't realize how exciting home hatched baby chicks were until today!

You are so right about the broody hatched baby chicks!! The whole dynamic of the chicks with Mama in the mix is very different than incubator or hatchery chicks. I have a broody who just finished setting 11 eggs....and all 11 hatched this past weekend. The little fluff balls scurry about like mice, but it is in a circular fashion with Mama in the middle. They had their first FF yesterday, and it was hilarious. Some of them were in it, some had food slung onto them which was promptly picked off by another one of the chicks.

Enjoy yours, because I am certainly enjoying mine.....oh, BTW.....not a pasty butt in the bunch so far....