My Showgirl Silkie left the nest for Jumbo Cornish Rock!

Eggscoozme

Songster
10 Years
Oct 25, 2014
344
170
222
Michigan
My black Showgirl Silkie who could hatch a golf ball, was sitting on 6, no 7, no wait, 8 eggs the other morning.

Apparently, the other layers wanted HER nesting box (despite the other 7 unattended boxes), to lay eggs. It amazes me that the additional layer could fit in the nesting box with her and her other eggs.

Sooooo, this constant addition of eggs to her brood was not going to work -- enough was enough. Doing what I thought was the wise thing to do, I moved her and her eggs into the other coop that had 18 one week old Cornish, and 4 two week old Bielefelders in it. She just sat on her eggs most ALL the day anyway, so no biggy having the other 22 fluff balls running around on the floor.

Well, that wasn't such a good idea after all. Lil Mama (the Showgirl Silkie) thought she hatched her eggs (I guess?) and several days in her new coop she started playing mama to the other 22 chickies!

After a day a free ranging, the whole crew entered an open chicken run and decided on an evening feast before bedtime. Enjoy the pics!





 
Ah, imprinting and maternal instinct! My mom told me a story of when she was a little girl and they put some duck eggs under a White Giant hen. They hatched and she was the perfect mom. But when her baby "chicks" waded into the creek for a swim, mama hen was beside herself!! :) Thanks for the picks.
 

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