It'll be fine... I said.

[MageofMist]

Speckles never sits to full term, I said.
It'll be fine to let her sit and have a break, I said...
Famous last words.

Welp, she has babies now! Last 3 times she went broody, she didn't sit long enough for eggs to hatch, so I wasn't worried this time. Rex and Speckles are both proud parents of around 6 adorable little babies.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Cute!!

 

[KaylorFarms]

Awwwwww!!!!!!

 

[Dani xxx]

Sooo cute ! X

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Aww, congrats! It took my broody a few false starts, too. She made a great mom once she sat full term. Enjoy watching her be mother to those cuties!

 

[lightchick]

So cute!

 

[MageofMist]

Aww, congrats! It took my broody a few false starts, too. She made a great mom once she sat full term. Enjoy watching her be mother to those cuties!

The mother and father are both doing well with the babies. I heard sometimes you are meant to separate the male from the broody hen, but he is sitting in the nest with her with the chicks under them both, and was giving them the crushed up feed I put in earlier. Also a 7th chick hatched, judging by the dry yet scruffy fluff, about a few minutes or so ago.

I scooped them up for a head count and to ensure none are sick, leg-splayed or injured in any way, and also checked the two remaining eggs for any sign of hatching or in need of assistance, which they didn't have any, before placing them back just in case they do hatch. Speckles was running around my hand hissing all fluffed up in "umbrella mode," and Rex pecked at my hand once when I put my hand under him to get some of the babies, but didn't really do much after that and just sat in the nest. The babies didn't seem to care all that much, just a little confused and snuggled into my hand, and were calmer than the chicks I hatched myself with an incubator on my hand! The babies are all back under their parents now in their nest and all have settled back down.

I don't want to bother them too much, but I just wanted to ensure everything was fine with them and that there was no lost chicks somewhere in the cage getting cold after going on a little walk about.

 

[MageofMist]

A quail chick got lost in the cage, standing completely still and doing the "whee" calls, so I picked it up and lowered my hand down so it could run to it's mama... Next thing I know, two more chicks climbed onto my hand and snuggled against it while Speckles was hissing at me and running around my hand... XD

I was like "Nuuu, I am not your mama, she is!" and gently tipped them off my hand, with them trying to cling onto it, for Speckles so she could sit over them and keep them warm.

 

[MageofMist]

*Dies from cuteness overload*
Rex is preening Speckles, and one of the babies started mimicking him, lightly pecking at her feathers after seeing Rex preening her. My heart... I'm dying.

 

[MageofMist]

The babies first tomato.