Look what greeted me this morning!!!

[Mrs MIA]

"Dal" is my LBxWL hen, who went broody just in time to save a clutch that my blue orpington decided to abandon on day 20. I think she's a little surprised by the swiftness of the hatch, but she's being a great first-time mom.

There are 10 babies so far... but as soon as I turn on the light in the garage, where their pen is, all these little heads pop up out from under her breast feathers. It's so cute!! And finally... a hatch I get to keep for myself!!

 

[Quack Shack]

Sweet!

 

[Schultz]

Oh they are just too cute! Congrats!!

 

[19sarah90]

Wow... day 20? What was that other hen thinking? Even funnier, I wonder what your "Dal" is thinking... Hope the other hen doesn't change her mind and get all jealous! Congrats on the cuties!

 

[b.hromada]

Awwwwwwwwwww, happy family. Congratulations all around!

 

[FrenchHen]

I love the sight of a mama and babies.

Enjoy them!

 

[Mrs MIA]

She looks really mean in these pictures, doesn't she? LOL! She actually purrs at me, and occasionally pecks at my hand, but for the most part she's really sweet. I just love watching hens with their new broods!

 

[Andi]

Awwwe! That's so sweet! I wonder what will happen when the chicks get older. Is the maternal mom near by? Will the chicks remember the real mom?

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Yes! How cool! Congrats, Mrs. AK! Just what I was hoping to see when I read your title! So sweet! So glad she took over the nest in the knick of time.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Unfortunately I'm not set up to let the hens brood the babies to adulthood, so when they start getting really active in the "maternity ward", I'll have to move them to the brooder with the other babies and Dal will go back to the layer coop. The Orpington momma won't ever see the babies she would have hatched. It's probably my fault... I forgot when I gave her the eggs, so I pulled her off the nest as usual to let her have her morning constitutional. While she was off enjoying herself, I realized that they were on day 20, and that one of them had pipped...

I brought her back in, but instead of planting her butt, she started scratching around in the kennel and ripping up the nest, tossing eggs everywhere... I couldn't get her to settle down for anything! So that's when I decided to change mommas. I'm so glad it worked, too.

phew!