Look what I found today! (Updated 8/7)

[cmom]

Congratulations!!!

 

[ROC4K]

Quote:
Why? She brought her babies back to her flock. Why not let her integrate them on her own terms? Setting and hatching by herself, then returning with chicks, is the natural or usual order of things. Why did you feel it was necessary to interfere?

Geez...I guess because I do want them to go back to a shelter and live inside instead of returning to the woods nightly. My putting food and water out daily for her for the last 8 months wasn't interfering with nature. My flock is less pretentious than most back yard birds. THey are free to come and go as they please. Out of 59 chickens on the ground here only 21 are adults. I have yet to lose one to older birds.

I don't think she was coming to introduce them to the flock yet. She came out after a baby mouse that was squeaking behind the coop. After she squawked and fussed and covered the peeps. If you look in the video you won't see any wire or cover on the spot they are in. In less than a week they will be able to easily go anywhere they want.

And your chickens live with you naturally w/o interference? I don't know if you are asking me to defend my actions or calling me out for purity sake but I do have to say that it is My flock not Hers. My flock went from 25 to 59 and requires a larger space now. I need more nest box, and roost space for my birds. With her addition I need them going in to their own or shelter.

Watch out for planks enjoy my speck. Perhaps I'm jumping the gun but the context of your quote is making me feel like I need to use spell check on my post too. I need coffee

Even though my water comes from the woods natural and somewhat cool (around 55 degress) I'm going to heat it to make my coffee. I find that it tastes better this way. YMMV

 

[LarryPQ]

Congratulations!!!

Um, I have a stupid question...but I am am a newbie so don't laugh too hard.

If most chickens lay between 2-6 eggs a week, and yours was gone 3 weeks, with incubation and hatching time----how did she have 14 babies?

It feels like a math problem gone wrong. I need order!!

 

[SallyF]

Birds (chickens, guineas, etc.) that are free-ranging tend to lay their eggs in the same spot. If she was a free-ranging hen, she would have been laying her eggs for some time before she got broody and started sitting on them. My three remaining hens are only out for half a day, and I found a clutch of five eggs over in the tree line the other day; I think only one of them is laying at this point, so she was laying in the nest box if she was in the coop and in the nest in the tree line if she was out.

 

[juliect]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing. That chick could do a commercial for Maybelline

 

[ROC4K]

I believe the hen has away of keeping the eggs off temp until her clutch is complete. Then sets for the 21 days. My daughter said for an animal with a brain the size of a pea...chickens sure are intelligent. She did the same calculating that you are doing now. I've found broody hens covering their eggs with bedding. My best guess is she has been working on this clutch for nearly 5 weeks. Of course there is the good chance that her and a friend shared the egg laying but she wouldn't let any close to her when she was out for food and water. So I don't know for sure. The fact that they are all yellows at birth makes most of my others non-suspects.

Some others may have more light. I'd be glad to hear their observations.

 

[ironjerry]

I had the same surprise yesterday as one of my aracona hens that I thought got eaten by something walked into barn with 11 chicks. That just made my summer so I know how you feel.

 

[Ducklove334]

Quote:
Why? She brought her babies back to her flock. Why not let her integrate them on her own terms? Setting and hatching by herself, then returning with chicks, is the natural or usual order of things. Why did you feel it was necessary to interfere?

because perhaps they didn't want the babies killed?, other hens and sometimes roosters DO and can KILL chicks.

congrats either way, heres to hoping they grow up happy and healthy

 

[sloallie10]

AMAZING!
Keep us updated with pictures!




Oh, and what kind of chickens do you have?

OH, and any more pictures?

 

[smiley]

Quote:
Awesome video...so adorable!!!! Just made my day today. What a good Mama!!!! Thanks for sharing!!