Abandoned/orphaned chicks

[centrarchid]

Is it usual or okay for a juvenile to be protective like a mama and think they're hers?

I dont know what mother and father looked liked. These babes were wild but there was no rooster in site and there were feathers everywhere as if mama got snatched by something (I'm thinking a cat or dog, but mongoose is another possibility)

Silkies are in a realm outside normal chicken behavior by many measures.

 

[Stephh0701]

That's all good to know. I'm really hoping it's a she, but regardless he/she sure makes.a good mama. She has a lot of female silkie characteristics as well, or at least lack of Male ones. Our other silkie we got with her seems to look much more masculine, but I realize that silkies are case by case, not by norm

 

[Stephh0701]

I'm also very glad she took to them as I really did not want to raise anymore chicks by hand. I'm past that stage I feel. My hand raised babies are laying now and I couldn't be happier and I don't particularly want to go back to the baby stage (even as cute as they are) since they're so messy and stinky and need quite a bit of attending where as my girls do great and only require being let to free range at least half a day and then they're happy enough to go back home after that and roost up for the night.