I'm quite surprised, to say the least!!!
I was outside refilling my cats water container on my porch, the ducks were off somewhere else on the property so it was quiet, except for a few frogs singing because of the storm blowing in, but as I listened, I heard something else, it sounded like baby starlings somewhere, but it's a bit late for nestlings around here, the last batches of fledgings around my house fledged some weeks ago, anyway.
so I step off the porch and head for the trees in back on the house, and I hear,not a couple, but sounds like a whole hoarde of little peeping things!, as a walk alittle farther into the treeline, i heard like, "buk buk buk buk buk buk", real low and steady like along with the peeping.
that is when i saw her!, there was a CHICKEN scratching and pecking in the leaves under a tree! with a bunch of little balls moving around by her feet!, I got a little closer to see that the chicken is large, I'm guessing a standard breed?, she LOOKS abit like a speckled sussex, which had me all giddy btw, but she's only slightly lighter, like an orange color and not like the deep mahogony color of the speckled sussexs, and she has a bunch of white and black speckles, and a black rimmed tail?
her chicks, are ALL black and have little white spots on their heads, except one which is yellowy/brown with a black/dark brown stripe down it's back, they're tiny, I'd say if you took one, and rolled it into a perfect ball, head and all, about the size of golf balls, and there are inbetween 18 and 20 of them!, yes I said 20!, i counted twice, the first time i got 18, the second i got 20
.
I watched them for a while, they were quite cute as mom scratched around, and apparently found something tasty, because she would lower her head and go "bukbukbukbuk" real high pitched and all the little chicks would cluster around her
I've never had chickens, so it's all new to me.
they're scared poopless of people, even mom when i dared to get alittle closer raised her head and let out this long trill, at which all the chicks gathered around her?, and she moved off with them,.
as the storm rolled in she herded them towards my duck shed, and waited until they were all with her, and pushed her way underneath with all her babies following.
now, is there anything I should do for them while they are here?, will they stay safe under the shed?, do I need to/should I feed them?, mom looks like she's doing a good job, and as far as I could tell,she and her babies where in good health, moms feathers looked alittle ragged, but then, so don't my ducks this time of year.
now, here the WIERD part, i got NO idea where these came from!, there is no one around here for about a mile and a half, but the clostest person I KNOW of who has chickens, is about 3 miles, and I don't think a lone chicken could have travled that far?
this is one of those times I wish i had a camera!
any help is appriciated!
I figure they'll move on, or I'm a new chicken owner!
I was outside refilling my cats water container on my porch, the ducks were off somewhere else on the property so it was quiet, except for a few frogs singing because of the storm blowing in, but as I listened, I heard something else, it sounded like baby starlings somewhere, but it's a bit late for nestlings around here, the last batches of fledgings around my house fledged some weeks ago, anyway.
so I step off the porch and head for the trees in back on the house, and I hear,not a couple, but sounds like a whole hoarde of little peeping things!, as a walk alittle farther into the treeline, i heard like, "buk buk buk buk buk buk", real low and steady like along with the peeping.
that is when i saw her!, there was a CHICKEN scratching and pecking in the leaves under a tree! with a bunch of little balls moving around by her feet!, I got a little closer to see that the chicken is large, I'm guessing a standard breed?, she LOOKS abit like a speckled sussex, which had me all giddy btw, but she's only slightly lighter, like an orange color and not like the deep mahogony color of the speckled sussexs, and she has a bunch of white and black speckles, and a black rimmed tail?
her chicks, are ALL black and have little white spots on their heads, except one which is yellowy/brown with a black/dark brown stripe down it's back, they're tiny, I'd say if you took one, and rolled it into a perfect ball, head and all, about the size of golf balls, and there are inbetween 18 and 20 of them!, yes I said 20!, i counted twice, the first time i got 18, the second i got 20
I watched them for a while, they were quite cute as mom scratched around, and apparently found something tasty, because she would lower her head and go "bukbukbukbuk" real high pitched and all the little chicks would cluster around her
I've never had chickens, so it's all new to me.
they're scared poopless of people, even mom when i dared to get alittle closer raised her head and let out this long trill, at which all the chicks gathered around her?, and she moved off with them,.
as the storm rolled in she herded them towards my duck shed, and waited until they were all with her, and pushed her way underneath with all her babies following.
now, is there anything I should do for them while they are here?, will they stay safe under the shed?, do I need to/should I feed them?, mom looks like she's doing a good job, and as far as I could tell,she and her babies where in good health, moms feathers looked alittle ragged, but then, so don't my ducks this time of year.
now, here the WIERD part, i got NO idea where these came from!, there is no one around here for about a mile and a half, but the clostest person I KNOW of who has chickens, is about 3 miles, and I don't think a lone chicken could have travled that far?
this is one of those times I wish i had a camera!
any help is appriciated!
I figure they'll move on, or I'm a new chicken owner!
