Chicken Babysits Broody's Nest

[aart]

I wish. but it is very cold outside: -25°C. The chick is still wet and stays hidden under mommy's backside.

Yes! Risky to expose wet chicks to those temps....so hard not to look.
When I had a winter broody temps were crazy cold, but hatch day we had a thaw.

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

Yes! Risky to expose wet chicks to those temps....so hard not to look.
When I had a winter broody temps were crazy cold, but hatch day we had a thaw.

Yes, I have read you're winter hatching experience. Hopefully they don't get too cold...

And the suspense is killing me! I just want to sit there with a bowl of popcorn!

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

Here is one!

 

[Krazyquilts]

Last summer, two of our ducks went broody (a Cayuga and a Buff) and our other Buff duck insisted on sitting with one of the broody ducks on eggs but wouldn't sit on her own eggs. She would sit on either nest and would stay on it even if the other duck got up. Every morning and evening, I would make the broody girls get up and eat, poop, bathe, etc, and they would do all that and very quickly go back to sit on their eggs, but "Helper Buff" would usually take her sweet time before going back to the nest(s), sometimes hours.

Here they are in their duck house, along with our other Cayuga girl who would occasionally make a social visit to the broody Cayuga's nest.

And another pic of the Buffs "telling me off." (Although they would accept Lettuce or worms readily enough, the little feathered piggies!"

Oh, and the bright blue thing in the middle nest is a plastic 3D-printed egg that a friend made me. The ducks didn't seem to think too highly of it, probably because of the "unnatural" color.

Also, our Welsh Harlequin and her babies were housed separately at night but were allowed supervised mingling with the rest of the flock during the day sometimes. Several times she plunked herself down with the broody Cayuga. My husband said that she, as an "experienced mama," was showing the Cayuga "how to get in the right frame of butt" for hatching.

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

That's a cute,

I don't have any ducks, but my mom really wants one.

This little brave chick... stuck his head out from under momma.

So it's only two chicks today. I saw some piping, hopefully they all hatch!

 

[Krazyquilts]

That's a cute,

I don't have any ducks, but my mom really wants one.

View attachment 1221391
This little brave chick... stuck his head out from under momma.

So it's only two chicks today. I saw some piping, hopefully they all hatch!

Aww! Little baby!!!

Ducks are awesome! They were my first poultry and they are still my favorite. If your mom does decide to get some, I recommend getting a minimum of three because like all poultry, they are flock creatures and really need to be with other ducks. If you get just two and something happens to one, then you are left with just one sad lonely duck. But if you get three and something happens to one, then you still have two to keep each other company which gives you some time to get more ducks.

 

[aart]

This little brave chick... stuck his head out from under momma.

Gorgeously classic pic!

What does Nugget think about all the cheeping....
...and being 'fired' from her 'job'?

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

Gorgeously classic pic!

What does Nugget think about all the cheeping....
...and being 'fired' from her 'job'?

Well, she's been standing close to the gate, she seemed curious to see what was going on.

I noted that she slept beside Ginny at night. We've been having really cold nights and Ginny is a great source of heat.

I don't think the rest of the flock has seen the chicks yet, Ginny is keeping them well covered.

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

There is 4 little chicks now!

 

[Hedwig Chicken]

There is frost on Ginny! But the chicks are nonetheless brave enough to come out from under Mommy!