BCM yearling becomes a surrogate mommy hen!

[wvcruffler]

Howdy all,
My black copper maran pullet who will turn 1 about mid summer did something very interesting last night. It was pretty cold and the chicks are in an old rubber feed bucket with a heat lamp and some chicken wire on top. It is located inside the henhouse. the BCM squeezed into the makeshift brooder and sat (set?) with the chicks (21 malay, 4 cubalaya from Ideal) last night. She was in there this AM and the chicks we all poking out from beneath her wings and feathers, rather than their usual spot near the heat lamp. She gave me the bad eyeball so I left her alone. Later, I checked on them while she was out and they were all fine. Is this unusual for such a young hen who only just started laying a couple weeks ago?
Phil

 

[Delighted]

I don't know if it's unusual or not--I'm still new at this, but I had to say, "Awwwwww!"

 

[kathyinmo]

Wow, really? That is so cool. You can just let her raise them for you .... forget that brooder!

Good luck!

 

[Why and Dotte]

I had a few hens go broody on their 1st year, maybe she skipped the sitting and assumed they were hers?

I'd watch her still though, she may decide to up and leave (or attack) I would still give them the option of a lamp just in case.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Awwwww....that is a sweet story

I love to see chicks peeping out from under a hen. I have a Buff Orp who won't turn a year old for another month and she brooded some eggs and is still a good mama to her 3 week old chicks.

 

[stuckinthecity]

I had a silkie x hen who took care of my game pullet I got at a trade day. She took on an evil game hen twice her size that attacked the baby...something she wouldn't have done if she wasn't in that "hen with babies" mood.

Very cool, and pics would be great too.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I have 3 different ages of chicks at the moment, and my middle group is now 4 weeks old. Well, my newest batch just hatched the 2nd/3rd, and I placed them in a brooder away from the other two brooders. 6 teeny little chicks, 2 standard Marans mixed chicks, 2 d'Uccle chicks, and 4 Bantam Cochin chicks. Well, the then 3 week olds were watching me place the tiny babies in the new brooder with mild curiosity, but most turned away and were bored within a few seconds. Except my little Lakenvelder pullet, Eliza. She watched intensely and the next morning (I set the babies in the brooder around midnight), the very moment the 3 week olds' brooder lid was opened, out popped Eliza who had NEVER tried to escape the brooder before. Before we could catch her she jumped to the floor, ran to the new brooder, flew up to the side, and then jumped in! I stood there in shock for a moment, and watched to see what her reasoning was behind jumping in there. I thought she wanted their food, like in case she thought they were getting something better than she was (seems to be a typical kid thought, no matter the species!!!), but instead she laid right down and the little babies piled around her! I watched and she let one lift up her wing and try to fit it's little body up under her wing!

The babies are now a week old and Eliza will NOT leave that brooder for anything! She sleeps with the babies all curled up around her, and she eats with them, and she preens them too! I was not only stunned, but quite impressed as well. She is so calm and good natured. I didn't think I would like Lakenvelders, but my younger daughter thought they were gorgeous, so I bought some eggs, and 3 were Lakenvelders, and of those 3, 2 hatched, and I ended up with a pair, Eliza and Montgomery (Monty for short), and they are both so sweet natured! I had a little Speckled Sussex roo that got his neck picked at and it bled, so temporarily I moved him in with Eliza and the little ones, and now HE won't leave! He snuggles up next to Eliza and he's the same age as her! I thought Lakenvelders weren't the broody type? Someone forgot to tell Miss Eliza! Someone also forgot to tell her that she's still a baby herself!!! Those chicks adore her though. It's the cutest thing. I swear, chickens never do cease to amaze me...

 

[wvcruffler]

It is so interesting when nature takes over! My daughter (9) has been trying to explain to me the biology of it all....