Once there was a little Sebright hen named Scarlet.
She was a very prolific and smart little hen that made her nest up on the planting table on her master's back porch. That is where the guard dog slept at night so she knew she'd always be safe.
Within weeks, she had 9 + 1, thanks to Blondie, (a Buff Orpington), eggs hatching. But on day 3 only 8 had made it out of their shells and it was time to get the little chicks some real food and water. The 2 last eggs were abandoned.
The master saw that the eggs were viable and thought about Scarlet's sister, Prissy, who had been unsuccessful in trying her own at hatching a clutch of eggs in the hen house. The traffic there was way too busy and she kept getting shifted from nest to nest. So the 2 abandoned eggs were given to her.
Withing 48 hours, Prissy was the proud mother of one little white chick and a larger buff chick.
At about the same time, Snow had hatched one little chick of her own. The 2 new mothers paraded their little babies proudly around the coop run and grounds.
Then a sad thing happened. Snow's little chick was a very curious little fellow. He jumped up on the edge of a very tall water bucket and fell in.
Snow continued to follow Prissy and her 2 chicks about the chicken yard until one night tragedy struck!
A fox got into the hen house, ate the buff chick and dragged Prissy off into the woods never to be seen again.
When the master found that something had gone very wrong, he looked around and did find the little white chick tucked safely under Snow's wing.
Snow looked after little Lonestar as if he were her very own, but....the fox returned 2 nights later. Snow fought desperately with the marauder loosing many feathers and suffering several deep bites to her back and neck.
The master's wife tried to wash the wounds and treated with salves and ointments. But, within 3 days, Snow became paralysed and could no longer protect her new baby chick or even take care of her self. Little Lonestar cheeped and chirped at her as he nuzzled her head and hid under her warm feathers. She had to be mercifully put to sleep and Lonestar was all alone.... again.
The master tried to place him back with his original mother and siblings but Scarlet pecked at him and ran him off. Several other broody hens were placed with him in a pet taxi. Some would peck him and others would just leave him behind when they had the chance.
All alone, Lonestar cheeped and cheeped and cheeped...Loudly! What to do?
Then the master thought of Charmin. She was an older hen that had developed severe arthritis of the ankles and was getting around so badly that it had been discussed whether the master should "put her down" or not. She was getting worse and would not even come to the back porch for treats any more. If left too much longer the flock would turn on her in her weaknes and kill her for the safety of the flock, because that is what chickens do. The master's wife had told him that she had noticed Charmin making those funny "broody hen" noises several weeks earlier. So Charmin was brought up from the hen coop and placed in a pet taxi with little Lonestar who was now about 10 days old.
She didn't peck him like the other hens, and she acted as if she enjoyed the little chicky kisses Lonestar gave her around her beak and ears. Within 2 days, Charmin began clucking to the little orphan and letting him cuddle up under her wing.
So Charmin gets to sleep with Lonestar in the pet taxi on the back porch and is being treated with Glucosmine chondrotin and MSM every day in yogurt and oats. She even clucks to the other hen's chicks when they come up and she feeds them all with much delight. She LOVES being a mommy and Lonestar is not an orphan anymore!
The End
She was a very prolific and smart little hen that made her nest up on the planting table on her master's back porch. That is where the guard dog slept at night so she knew she'd always be safe.
Within weeks, she had 9 + 1, thanks to Blondie, (a Buff Orpington), eggs hatching. But on day 3 only 8 had made it out of their shells and it was time to get the little chicks some real food and water. The 2 last eggs were abandoned.
The master saw that the eggs were viable and thought about Scarlet's sister, Prissy, who had been unsuccessful in trying her own at hatching a clutch of eggs in the hen house. The traffic there was way too busy and she kept getting shifted from nest to nest. So the 2 abandoned eggs were given to her.
Withing 48 hours, Prissy was the proud mother of one little white chick and a larger buff chick.
At about the same time, Snow had hatched one little chick of her own. The 2 new mothers paraded their little babies proudly around the coop run and grounds.
Then a sad thing happened. Snow's little chick was a very curious little fellow. He jumped up on the edge of a very tall water bucket and fell in.
Snow continued to follow Prissy and her 2 chicks about the chicken yard until one night tragedy struck!
A fox got into the hen house, ate the buff chick and dragged Prissy off into the woods never to be seen again.
When the master found that something had gone very wrong, he looked around and did find the little white chick tucked safely under Snow's wing.
Snow looked after little Lonestar as if he were her very own, but....the fox returned 2 nights later. Snow fought desperately with the marauder loosing many feathers and suffering several deep bites to her back and neck.
The master's wife tried to wash the wounds and treated with salves and ointments. But, within 3 days, Snow became paralysed and could no longer protect her new baby chick or even take care of her self. Little Lonestar cheeped and chirped at her as he nuzzled her head and hid under her warm feathers. She had to be mercifully put to sleep and Lonestar was all alone.... again.
The master tried to place him back with his original mother and siblings but Scarlet pecked at him and ran him off. Several other broody hens were placed with him in a pet taxi. Some would peck him and others would just leave him behind when they had the chance.
All alone, Lonestar cheeped and cheeped and cheeped...Loudly! What to do?
Then the master thought of Charmin. She was an older hen that had developed severe arthritis of the ankles and was getting around so badly that it had been discussed whether the master should "put her down" or not. She was getting worse and would not even come to the back porch for treats any more. If left too much longer the flock would turn on her in her weaknes and kill her for the safety of the flock, because that is what chickens do. The master's wife had told him that she had noticed Charmin making those funny "broody hen" noises several weeks earlier. So Charmin was brought up from the hen coop and placed in a pet taxi with little Lonestar who was now about 10 days old.
She didn't peck him like the other hens, and she acted as if she enjoyed the little chicky kisses Lonestar gave her around her beak and ears. Within 2 days, Charmin began clucking to the little orphan and letting him cuddle up under her wing.
So Charmin gets to sleep with Lonestar in the pet taxi on the back porch and is being treated with Glucosmine chondrotin and MSM every day in yogurt and oats. She even clucks to the other hen's chicks when they come up and she feeds them all with much delight. She LOVES being a mommy and Lonestar is not an orphan anymore!
The End
