One of my flocks is free range and centered on front porch.
A game hen of that flock hatched a brood of chicks on April 10. All but one was pure game. Other was 1/2 dominique. Owing to bad management on my part, all but one (1/2 dominique) of brood was lost to impacted by May 11. Hen then quit clucking on May 14 and two days later she and remaining chick moved to elevated roost. Chick was almost 5 weeks old at that time. On May 17, hen began producing eggs at one day intervals until May 2 when incubation of brood 2 commenced. During period of egg laying, chick (a pullet) stayed with hen, sometimes even when hen was laying egg on nest. Now that hen is incubating, pullet stays in close proximity to nest site spending some time on nest with during day and roosting in it at night. Pullet does not follow hen when leaves to feed, drink, use crapper and stretch out. Rather pullet stays in close proximity to nest.
Anyone seen such with their birds?
A game hen of that flock hatched a brood of chicks on April 10. All but one was pure game. Other was 1/2 dominique. Owing to bad management on my part, all but one (1/2 dominique) of brood was lost to impacted by May 11. Hen then quit clucking on May 14 and two days later she and remaining chick moved to elevated roost. Chick was almost 5 weeks old at that time. On May 17, hen began producing eggs at one day intervals until May 2 when incubation of brood 2 commenced. During period of egg laying, chick (a pullet) stayed with hen, sometimes even when hen was laying egg on nest. Now that hen is incubating, pullet stays in close proximity to nest site spending some time on nest with during day and roosting in it at night. Pullet does not follow hen when leaves to feed, drink, use crapper and stretch out. Rather pullet stays in close proximity to nest.
Anyone seen such with their birds?
