It's a family affair at our place

[CSolis]

I have been so blessed in the last week to be able to watch how families interact.. It's just amazing to me how they help one another out.. especially during hatching and raising of the chicks. I have two such families here and was able to capture on video what's going on..
First was Shadow Captain and Poof Poof.. at 7 weeks of age (the first brood of chicks) PP went broody again. When I went out to do lockup I saw no one in their pen... as it happens, SD and babes were helping mom on the nest.. You can barely see PP (black silkie hen) for all the help she's getting.

The second Family started with 'The Mags and her sister Sweetpea' They delivered me the barred hens from a BR rooster named Henri.. Here she is in the second of two nesting boxes in the pen.

Sarah (the barred hen) started sitting eggs 21 days ago, and her daughter Raven (bantam black) took over hatching duties while Sarah stayed just outside the 'nest' and took care of overflow eggs.

Within a few minute of me being out there to deliver a baby feeder and waterer (we are so close to hatch time) there was a changing of the guard.. Note: NOT ONE EGG is broken!

 

[CSolis]

Oh Lord.. I went back out about an hour later and who do I find in the nest? Margaret! Sarah is still on egg overflow duty while Raven takes an extended lunch break.. Teamwork at it's finest! I'm not sure if Margaret is actually sitting or just 'donating' to the family's future.

 

[CSolis]

Another thought crossed my mind after the original post here.. I have Tiny Dancer the SDW OEGB shown as my avatar.. he was a birthday present.. soon after a mystery egg hatched from a small gray hen called 'Pigeon'. Pigeon lives at the same place Tiny came from, and there were several others of his kind floating around... Anyway, this teeny tiny little guy hatched and after several weeks it was apparent he had some neurological issues.. He would lose his balance trying to groom himself.. I thought he wouldn't make it, but I kept switching him to brooders with more recently hatched chicks due to his really small size.
Since Tiny was a 'house guest' and still it, at 8 weeks I turned Mr T (for teeny) lose in the LR with Tiny Dancer to see how things would go.. Tiny adopted the lil guy and started teaching him..

Notice how unbalanced he is?
Tiny Teaching Mr T about grapes! Look here 'son' eat your grapes!

Soon they were going outside together.. recently Mr T was on his way down the back steps and another bantam rooster took note and came rushing over.. Tiny, who was on the railing of the landing flew down and intercepted King Wheaties before he could get to Mr T.
Tiny loves the little guy

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Too cute! His balance looks much better now!

 

[CSolis]

Too cute! His balance looks much better now!

Yes, it's much better.. However he still can't groom himself past his chest or wing feathers.. Momma to the rescue.. every night I sit in the papasan and he gets on my shoulder to get some lovin' and grooming.. while I work on saddle feathers and tail feathers, he's grooming his chest.. LOL, never fails that he snuggles and tries to get under my feathers at some point.

 

[CSolis]

Andddddddddd another beginning for the gals in A Pen... Went out to feed this morning, and was greeted by this one's other sibling.. By the time I grabbed my camera this one was peeking out.

 

[CSolis]

Margaret was trying to get in the nest to lay another egg which scattered eggs everywhere.. these two ladies combined forces to guard the newly hatched chicks... I pulled Margaret out and put her in the secondary nesting box and things calmed down.

 

[CSolis]

#2 along with #1 peeking out over the eggs. #2 definitely has 5 toes, so I'm hoping it's a Ms Magster babe.

 

[CSolis]

Two and a pip!

 

[CSolis]

Both moms calling the newbies to eat!