Poppy & the Giant Babies

[Aunt Angus]

Imma try to keep this concise....

A bad shipping experience led me to divide the order between broodies out in the coop and an intensive care brooder in my livingroom. After more loss, I ended up with 1 chick inside. I bought 2 EE chicks to keep the lone survivor company, but those babies were giants compared to my solo chick (even though same age), so I moved the giant babies outside to brood in the coop.

Today, a month later, I go out to see that Poppy, my buff Orpington, has adopted the 6 week old giant babies spontaneously. She'd made a nest, and they were climbing all over her.

Bad pic, but here they are:

Anyone else have a chicken adopt older chicks???

 

[3KillerBs]

Imma try to keep this concise....

A bad shipping experience led me to divide the order between broodies out in the coop and an intensive care brooder in my livingroom. After more loss, I ended up with 1 chick inside. I bought 2 EE chicks to keep the lone survivor company, but those babies were giants compared to my solo chick (even though same age), so I moved the giant babies outside to brood in the coop.

Today, a month later, I go out to see that Poppy, my buff Orpington, has adopted the 6 week old giant babies spontaneously. She'd made a nest, and they were climbing all over her.

Bad pic, but here they are:
View attachment 3142534

Anyone else have a chicken adopt older chicks???

None of the hens have shown any maternal interest in chicks, but the rooster, Ludwig, babysits.

 

[Aunt Angus]

None of the hens have shown any maternal interest in chicks, but the rooster, Ludwig, babysits.

Awwww.... Ludwig.... What a good boy!

 

[3KillerBs]

Awwww.... Ludwig.... What a good boy!

He is indeed. And he's still for sale if anyone in NC needs a good rooster.

 

[Aunt Angus]

He is indeed. And he's still for sale if anyone in NC needs a good rooster.

A good rooster is a good thing to have!

I am not doing well in the rooster dept, so I don't know what that's like firsthand. I have 1 roo who is kind of a jerk, and 1 cockerel who I can't yet read. The first I was far too nice to. This new fella was raised hands off, but he's all hormone right now and is annoying the girls.

 

[3KillerBs]

A good rooster is a good thing to have!

I am not doing well in the rooster dept, so I don't know what that's like firsthand. I have 1 roo who is kind of a jerk, and 1 cockerel who I can't yet read. The first I was far too nice to. This new fella was raised hands off, but he's all hormone right now and is annoying the girls.

If you weren't on the other end of the country ...

 

[Aunt Angus]

If you weren't on the other end of the country ...

Right???

 

[Mrs. K]

3Killerbee and I have fantastic roosters that are not part of our breeding plan. Bye - so darn nice, he got the Bye is a perfect rooster....what to do, what to do.

Mrs K

 

[Aunt Angus]

3Killerbee and I have fantastic roosters that are not part of our breeding plan. Bye - so darn nice, he got the Bye is a perfect rooster....what to do, what to do.

Mrs K

Again - you're too darn far away.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have a pheonix who adopted a 5 week old when her mama dlstopped caring for her. I call her Auntie right now
This is a few days after I noticed Auntie had taken over