Surprise’s, our daughter found in the feral garden

[electrycmonk]

I had well established that this year we had no plans for a hatch-out.

The garden went feral this year again… sunflower forest version 2.0!

So this is year number 4 for the remainder of the flock. And “Fat boy’s” (what my Better-Half called these twin looking chicks 4 years ago) & thankfully they became “Fat Girls” and then one passed away a year later…

Well the remaining girl rarely showed any broodiness… a few times the last 2-3 years she was pseudo-broody for like 1-3 days & then up she went!

Well, this year. She is definitely “Momma” territory given that when DD gathered up the chicks and took them to the crate & then took the “Momma” to them she was instantly squatting down and fluffy her wings out like a tent. So we sat the feed at waterers really close to her and she wasted no time to get pieces and start to show the chicks that it’s good.

While she was busy doing this I quietly picked up each one and showed it the water. Dipped their beak in it and let them drink it twice then I let them stand and go back to Momma. I believe I got them all water.

When they get back from shopping (and now picking up chick starter too) I’ll have have DD show me the nesting location… then I’ll have pictures for here…

So in the meantime… here are two pic’s

 

[Kiki]

Congrats!

How many chicks?

 

[Lor]

Awww. Hope all goes well!

 

[electrycmonk]

Congrats!

How many chicks?

I thought I wrote 8 or 9 in initial post?

I’ll verify later today when Better-Half & Kiddo get back from running around town.

 

[Kiki]

I thought I wrote 8 or 9 in initial post?

I’ll verify later today when Better-Half & Kiddo get back from running around town.

I'm blind...maybe.

 

[electrycmonk]

/cue drumroll sound file

And, the search began…


All the way to the back fence wall of the “small backyard” of which the garden takes up the NW half section and is ~30’ X ~30’ square.

She found it! Or shall I say, she found 1 nest, the odds of. 2nd are just high enough.. but, we stopped looking after about an added 6-7’ radius of this spot. Reason being?
Found 2 eggs “undamaged” as compared to the broken *failed* egg at the bottom left corner of the “nest” of this picture.



Here is the overhead view:


That failed egg is almost center of this shot.

…. Took the two eggs she found to the Momma….

 

[electrycmonk]

Here is Momma inspecting the eggs I placed in the nest and the hatchlings milling about the place. The current head count is:
3 mostly black feathered
1 dark charcoal-ish
2 light gray w/ tan-soft yellow accents

 

[electrycmonk]

Momma teaching to get food and then give me “the look” while I take pics *over her shoulder* & then she focuses back on the hatchlings….

 

[electrycmonk]

So a view, okay screenshots from the 22 second video of them all (I think anyways):


All 6 on the left side of Momma.


2 squeezed behind the nest box sidewall and the dog crate to be near the eggs.


Oh dear. This screenshot was just a second too late. I’ll get a better one later. Sorry.

 

[BastyPutt]

The feral garden looks like chicken paradise.