Broody hen surprised by orphan chick arrival

[old biddy]

I have a chicken hen (Prom Queen is her name) that has been sitting on two peafowl eggs for about 35 days. I went out to her nest yesterday evening to finally remove the two eggs when I heard a small chicken chick peeping from the bushes near the henhouse. It was already dark and somehow the little chick had been separated from its momma hen. I had no idea where the momma was. (I have several hens that roost in the wild with their chicks...). It was all alone in the bushes. I swooped it up in a net and took it with me to the henhouse where the broody hen was still sitting on the two, apparently non viable, peafowl eggs and slipped it under the hen...and wished them both luck. The little chick seemed so happy to be under the protection of a warm hen that it stopped peeping and just snuggled under her. The look of surprise and confusion on the face of the hen was priceless.

The next morning I checked on them and they were both beaming. The little chick peeked out from under the hen and Prom Queen seemed very happy indeed.

So, I though tonight I would go ahead and remove those two peafowl eggs but when I went out to the henhouse to do that I spotted something in a water pan. It was another chick from that same feral clutch - at first I though it was drowned but when I picked it up it started peeping. I dried it off the best I could and slipped it under that same broody hen (Prom Queen) who again seemed surprised but happy about it all. I am hoping that all three of them are happy and well in the morning.

Yes, this is what I do with my days. Retirement is wonderful!

 

[ahamscott]

That’s a lovely story - better than most I read these days! Please give an update in the morning - I will be looking forward to it and hoping for the best

 

[trumpeting_angel]

@old biddy - I'm retiring at the end of next week, and I got chickens as a retirement project! I love this story! Those silly hens, losing their chicks out in the wild.

And your Prom Queen - happy as a lark with her miracle chicks! How wonderful!

 

[old biddy]

So this morning I went to check on Prom Queen and the two orphan chicks. I was a bit worried that the "almost drowned" chick may not have survived the night. But lo and behold there it was all fluffed out and dry. I was so glad of that. BUT, it was standing alone facing a corner of the brooder cage, while the first little chick was peeping out from under Prom Queen still apparently happy with its new mommy. I observed this scenario for awhile until I was convinced that either this second chick was unhappy with this new situation or my broody hen was not interested in a second adoptee. So I went on a hunting expedition to find a hen with missing chicks and I found them. It may sound unusual but I have two silkie mix hens that had decided to sit on the same nest and hatch out five chicks - so the five chicks have two mommas. They form a nice little group in the barnyard, the two hens clucking at the chicks constantly. The second "almost drowned" chick was one of their brood. I returned the chick to the two mommas and everyone was very happy.

The first little chick, though, is staying with Prom Queen. A happy ending.

 

[old biddy]

@old biddy - I'm retiring at the end of next week, and I got chickens as a retirement project! I love this story! Those silly hens, losing their chicks out in the wild.

And your Prom Queen - happy as a lark with her miracle chicks! How wonderful!

Hooray for you at retiring next week! I always feel happy for people who have worked so hard all their life and finally get a chance to choose a new and better path toward soothing the soul. Good for you! I hope you are as happy with your new life - and your chickens - as I have been.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Thank you! I expect I’ll do some work here and they (old habit?) but the rest of the summer is for the garden, the chickens, and the house. And the dozens of projects that DH wants my help with!

My soul does need soothing. I find myself hurrying when there’s no reason. I worked with people who were hurting, and I need a rest.

 

[BlueBaby]

@old biddy That was a very nice story that you have shared with us, and see's to have had a happy ending for all.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I took eggs to silky coop was not expecting them to hatch just needed to know who would mother two weeks of her sitting on those eggs just three I brought home 4 black sex links took the eggs one by one adding a peep each time last two did both at once they are thriving with silky mom