- Sep 28, 2013
- 40
- 6
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Little Peep is a Copper Maran/Barred Rock that was hatched by a Muscovy duck and raised by me. Here is her story.
It was early summer when we got our first rooster, Buck. He was (I say was because he is gone today) a beautiful, sweet (for a rooster) Copper Maran. At the time we also had some Barred Rocks (although I didn't think they were, maybe Dominiques). But one of the Black and White barred hens must have laid a fertile egg in a nesting box, which also had tons of duck eggs in it. A muscovy duck took that nest. 21 days later a pretty little golfball-sized fuzz ball appeared out of nowhere. The black chick sat under its "momma" and awkwardly stumbled across the unhatched duck eggs.
We had to take the chick out, because Muscovy eggs take 35 days to hatch. And if one egg hatches, and the others don't, momma thinks she needs to help the others hatch. Or she would just leave them for a tiny downy chick.
So we took it into the house, and for the first few nights, she slept in my brother's room. (I say she, but she could be a he...) Little Peep would totter around, following her daddy (Nik) around. Or she would be on the table, running around eating scraps.
And all night long, Peep would peep so loudly until Nik picked her up and held her. Then she didn't make a sound. So, Nik lost sleep while I slept through it all.
I decided to give my brother a break, and I took the young chicken into my room. I then realized how hard it is to sleep with that alarm-chick around. Sounds like an alarm... but I love her. Even if there has to be a bright light on all night so she isn't cold.
She stayed in my room for the next week or so. Then she got moved down to the basement. She was doing great, with her clock and blanket and light. The clock and blanket (which was draped over the edge of the box) works well to quiet little birds and make them feel safe and secure.
She still loved to run around the kitchen and bedrooms. Even when she left her little messes behind, she was pretty clean.
While down in the basement, she jumped over the side of the box (two to three feet tall) and perched on the ledge.
So we moved her outside due to her messes under her "perch". She hated it at first because of all the chickens attacking her (and once a duck, who is my sweet little Muscovy, Jade, bit her- even though a duck bite is like a... I don't know... a kiss?) But it was mostly the chickens, and the geese left her alone (except when she neared them and their oats).
She settled in nicely, although the one night was a nightmare! It was near dark outside and I was doing my nighttime "duck duty," as we like to call it. I was filling up a small swimming pool for the ducks and geese, when Peep came up and tried to perch on the side. She fell in. It was supposed to be 40 degrees that night, the water was cold, and she was not yet fully feathered. So I had to take the shivering chicken inside, and she slept in my room. Again. But she was quiet, and there were no lights (Yay!).
In the morning, she was fine and dry. Today, she is running around the "duckyard" and STILL peeping!
Here are a few pics of my little girl;
This was the first pic taken when she was a few days old.
First time outside!
Sometimes Peep and I like to sit up in the tree
Peep and my Californian rabbit, Buster.
Her first bit of "copper".
Peep today
It was early summer when we got our first rooster, Buck. He was (I say was because he is gone today) a beautiful, sweet (for a rooster) Copper Maran. At the time we also had some Barred Rocks (although I didn't think they were, maybe Dominiques). But one of the Black and White barred hens must have laid a fertile egg in a nesting box, which also had tons of duck eggs in it. A muscovy duck took that nest. 21 days later a pretty little golfball-sized fuzz ball appeared out of nowhere. The black chick sat under its "momma" and awkwardly stumbled across the unhatched duck eggs.
We had to take the chick out, because Muscovy eggs take 35 days to hatch. And if one egg hatches, and the others don't, momma thinks she needs to help the others hatch. Or she would just leave them for a tiny downy chick.
So we took it into the house, and for the first few nights, she slept in my brother's room. (I say she, but she could be a he...) Little Peep would totter around, following her daddy (Nik) around. Or she would be on the table, running around eating scraps.
And all night long, Peep would peep so loudly until Nik picked her up and held her. Then she didn't make a sound. So, Nik lost sleep while I slept through it all.
I decided to give my brother a break, and I took the young chicken into my room. I then realized how hard it is to sleep with that alarm-chick around. Sounds like an alarm... but I love her. Even if there has to be a bright light on all night so she isn't cold.
She stayed in my room for the next week or so. Then she got moved down to the basement. She was doing great, with her clock and blanket and light. The clock and blanket (which was draped over the edge of the box) works well to quiet little birds and make them feel safe and secure.
She still loved to run around the kitchen and bedrooms. Even when she left her little messes behind, she was pretty clean.
While down in the basement, she jumped over the side of the box (two to three feet tall) and perched on the ledge.
So we moved her outside due to her messes under her "perch". She hated it at first because of all the chickens attacking her (and once a duck, who is my sweet little Muscovy, Jade, bit her- even though a duck bite is like a... I don't know... a kiss?) But it was mostly the chickens, and the geese left her alone (except when she neared them and their oats).
She settled in nicely, although the one night was a nightmare! It was near dark outside and I was doing my nighttime "duck duty," as we like to call it. I was filling up a small swimming pool for the ducks and geese, when Peep came up and tried to perch on the side. She fell in. It was supposed to be 40 degrees that night, the water was cold, and she was not yet fully feathered. So I had to take the shivering chicken inside, and she slept in my room. Again. But she was quiet, and there were no lights (Yay!).
In the morning, she was fine and dry. Today, she is running around the "duckyard" and STILL peeping!
Here are a few pics of my little girl;
This was the first pic taken when she was a few days old.
First time outside!
Sometimes Peep and I like to sit up in the tree
Peep and my Californian rabbit, Buster.
Her first bit of "copper".
Peep today
