She is still squashing chicks?

[oesdog]

Just thought I would share this photo of Bertha -
I was told that once she had her babies she would have them for about 6-8 weeks and then would forget about them and want to go back to her friends.
I was told that by the time her chicks were 10/11 weeks old she would be laying again.
So at 8 weeks I took Bertha and I put her in the big coop with her friends. She cried I mean sobbed for 3 days it was pitiful. I felt awful as I never heard a hen cry like that before. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh What to do??????????????? I gave up and gave them back to her.

Now when they got to 16 /17 weeks I thought oh good the chicks are big now - the older hens wont pick on them I will put them all back in the big girl coop.

This is what is happening!!!!!!!! She is still trying to get on top of them at night and it is sooooo funny to see her hurding the chicks into a pile so she can ballance on the top of them and squish them!!!! She is never going to stop is she?????????????????? There are 4 chicks somewhere under her and if you look closely you can see some beaks pocking out. They are nearly as big as she is now - but she is still Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oesdog -

 

[Dagmarvelous]

That is the funniest thing I've seen in a while!!

Well, once a mom, always a mom. I still love to cuddle with my two grown boys!!

 

[Crack N' Egg]

That is just flippin adorable!!!

I'm about to separate my 2 silkie moms from their 11 wk olds. I hope it goes smoother for me!

 

[KellyHM]

What kind of chicken is Bertha? She's very pretty.

I use to have a Silkie hen that would still let her older chicks sleep "under" her at night while she was broody on the next batch of eggs.

 

[Princess Poppycock]

That's adorable!!!!!

 

[Yazzo]

All I can say, is that you have one awesome hen there!

My young hens just take care of the chicks for only about a month, then leave them and even peck them....the stupidheads.

She's a Sussex right?

 

[oesdog]

Yeah she is a sussex

My Beautiful Bertha.

I just love her but she isn;t going to stop mummying the babies anytime soon!!!!!! Only thing is Bertha hasn;t laid her own eggs in a very long time. None of the babies are actually hers. I just keep her because she is lovely and a good broody but she doesn;t lay now once in a blue moon sadly! Oh I was going to say when our other broody hen died suddenly leaving eggs Bertha took them she was sitting 15 eggs + we had to take some away. But she could comfortably sit a huge amount as she is a big girl when in good condition!

Oesdog

 

[jaimslee4u]

What a good momma! I have a sussex too and she is the sweetest thing!

 

[Crack N' Egg]

She is gorgeous!!!