hatching something!? (with pixs)

Wanna hear a story?
Got my boys off to school and then came home to check on the chooks. Hadn't checked on them since Thursday, I'm a RN and had to work Friday, Sat and Sunday. 12 hour days.! Yesterday was yuck in SW Indiana!!

I have 1 cochin bantam black roo, 3 cochin/silkie bantam hens and 1 bantam cochin frizzle hen. Now 2 of the 3 cochin/silkie hens have been sitting on a clutch of eggs for about 1-2 weeks. At first only one was sitting and then the other joined in. I've been keeping track and they had 17 eggs in one nest between the 2 of them. They are in an old feed bucket and so they are both comfortable.

Now I have this big tiger stripped tom cat "Boots" that since he was little always stayed with the chooks. Never bothered them. Keeps other critters away. I feed him but since he was little have never petted him. He just eats mice and sticks around.


I went to check the setters and noticed something moving under one of the hens!! Knew it was not time for chicks - that should be about Memorial Day week!! Looked closer and the hen tucked the moving thing under her. Picked the hen up - and found a kitten!!!!! Guess big old tom cat was really a big old momma!!!! I checked under the other hen and found a total of 6 kitten. 2 yellow, 2 calico, 2 tiger stripped!!!!!

I plan on moving 1 hen and about half of the eggs to an inside pen tonight to give momma cat more room.

Hope everyone has a good day!!