Our broody hens and hatches

[Yardmom]

I'm going to try to remember to put notes about our mamas and chicks here. I seem to loose track of what all the mamas have.
Current chicks.
3 with white silky cross seem to be being weened. 1 splash has a neck issue that seems to be happening in a few chicks this year. 1 single chick with a silkie mom with silver on neck will be weening soon.
Another single chick red in color about a week old with neck issue. mostly buff on neck of silkie mom.
3 Silkies black, white and silver necked look alike on 6 shared eggs close to hatching. All hatches are standard chicks.

 

[Yardmom]

Standard Red hen in Silkie coop given 5 duck eggs on Sat May 25th.​

 

[Yardmom]

Blue Silkie cross in standard coop has 4 chicks over a month old. Leghorn cross has 3 chicks about a month old. Small dark grey with white has neck issue.

 

[Yardmom]

The 3 Silkies who shared a nest were joined by a 4th. They successfully hatched 4 chicks (out of 6) this weekend. One yellow with darker head spot. One with dark stripes. One with reddish lighter colored stripes. The forth is black and white similar to mottled chick color, but a bit different. None have the neck issue. 3 original moms up and about. The one that started later continues to set, but chicks are going under her as well.

 

[TwoCrows]

Do you have any photos?

 

[Yardmom]

The first pic is of the second youngest chick next to the duck eggs.
The one in the food dish is one of the first hatches of the season. The black and white is a hatch mate.

The standard chicks are almost as big as their adopted mother now.

I need to get some pics of the recent hatches tomorrow.

 

[Yardmom]

The most recent hatch. The 3 mothers set about the same time in the same corner. They are co-parenting. No fighting between mothers (I've had that go differently with others), but they are taking turns chasing other hens away. They are stuck inside unless supervised in the evenings due to multiple fox sightings.

 

[TwoCrows]

Super adorable!!!

 

[Yardmom]

Chicks are doing well, and black runner mom hatched 7/7 ducklings from the eggs left with her. Unfortunately ducklings hatched in the Silkie coop did not fare well. Several disappeared the first night. ???
We are down to one dark colored survivor who hatched under the white silkie cross, but was stolen and raised by the standard hen whose babies disappeared. Daughter felt bad for Silkie cross and placed 3 more duck eggs under her. 2/3 hatched today. More on that in another post.
Making these as easy as possible while we are on vacation our eggs are not picked. Yep more broodies. Set Sat. 7/13 a dozen started Silkie eggs under 5 hens. In the standard coop 4 eggs under barred pullet. 5 under Not a Duck's Chick (she is about 3 years old).

 

[Yardmom]