Has your hen ever hatched a songbird? Mine has!

[Missimus]

Hi y’all! I have a silkie hen, and I’ve just found a dove in her nest!
Apparently an egg wound up in her coop and she was able to hatch it. I’ve contacted a local rehab facility and they are willing to take it in, so no need to worry!
Im now wondering how common it is to have a hen hatch a songbird egg?


Edit, I think a dove has been feeding it! My security footage shows a dove coming by and sticking around the coop for the last two weeks or so. The coop is right under a tree so the theory is 1. Soon to hatch egg falls into the coop during a storm or 2. Freshly hatched baby falls into the coop, with its shell and lands into the nest

 

[AltonaAcres]

Wow! That's not a hatchling. That is a fledgling, probably several weeks old and learning to fly. It was probably seeking heat so found your silkie. It already has most of it's feathers

 

[MGG]

It's also not a songbird, it's a dove. It probably flew into the coop somehow. There's absolutely no way she hatched and raised it. It's probably 3 weeks old, and doves eat their mother's crop milk. Your hen can't make crop milk, only doves can.

 

[Missimus]

Wow! That's not a hatchling. That is a fledgling, probably several weeks old and learning to fly. It was probably seeking heat so found your silkie. It already has most of it's feathers

Definitely a fledgie! I’d say two weeks as it’s head is still pitifully naked. I’ve been on vacation for a little while and I come back to this! I was thinking it ran to my bird, but nope! It’s eggshells were in the nest!

 

[AltonaAcres]

Oh, that makes more sense now, that is crazy! I wonder how the egg got there?

 

[Missimus]

It's also not a songbird, it's a dove. It probably flew into the coop somehow. There's absolutely no way she hatched and raised it. It's probably 3 weeks old, and doves eat their mother's crop milk. Your hen can't make crop milk, only doves can.

I honestly don’t know how it’s still alive, maybe the mother dove has been feeding it..? My hen definitely hatched the baby though, it’s shell is in the nest and she’s been sitting on it for a bit now. I always thought doves were songbirds-! Learn something new everyday I guess!

 

[MGG]

I honestly don’t know how it’s still alive, maybe the mother dove has been feeding it..? My hen definitely hatched the baby though, it’s shell is in the nest and she’s been sitting on it for a bit now. I always thought doves were songbirds-! Learn something new everyday I guess!

Doves are members of the columbiformes family. I don't know how that's possible. A dove would have had to have been feeding it.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

No possible way even with shells in the nest.

 

[Missimus]

Doves are members of the columbiformes family. I don't know how that's possible. A dove would have had to have been feeding it.

Definitely think a dove was feeding it. I’ve gone through my security footage and there’s been a dove coming by the coop a few times a day for the past two weeks.

 

[MGG]

Definitely think a dove was feeding it. I’ve gone through my security footage and there’s been a dove coming by the coop a few times a day for the past two weeks.

That explains it then. Maybe the dove nested in box, and then when her baby hatched one of the hens started sitting on it. I wouldn't give it to the rescue, if the mom is taking care of it I'd let her. Sure is funny!