We know broody hens. How about a nanny hen?

[vintage]

I'm so sorry to hear that, I've read through this thread and she was so sweet.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

 

[ValerieJ]

That is very sad news. I know she lived a good, long life, but this is never easy.

 

[Ladyxan]

Oh Azy! I am so sorry to also see that Su-Su passed away… how crazy!!

 

[azygous]

She was the third of my geriatric hens to die this year. All if a sudden it seemed their time was up. So far the grand matriarch Lady Di is still going strong at thirteen.

 

[azygous]

Millie reenlisted as nanny hen and is now caring for my four new Welsummer chicks. She's not even got broody hormones this time, although they may come in with more exposure to the chicks.

 

[azygous]

I just noticed I hadn't included Nanny Millie in this thread on nanny hens. Here is how she spent her last fall. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...hicks-shunning-their-heat-cave.1494237/page-3 I got two free end of "chick days" at TSC and Millie adopted them. She really has a soft spot in her heart for baby chicks.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

She looks almost like a silkie. Did she not molt last fall?

 

[azygous]

Millie is a Welsummer. Millie is crippled with gout, so she mostly lounges on her cushions all day. Before she volunteered for nanny duty, she was out with the other chickens who loved to abuse her feathers by raking their beaks over her. The result is a sort of "teasing" of the feathers so they appear more like fur than feathers. It's probably why Millie was so eager for nanny duty.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

OK, gotcha.