Wow! Just Wow! So Amazing!

[Hopefully]

My hen has been missing for some time for about 3 weeks and a couple days. We figured she would come back soon... and then figured she'd been caught and killed, since our hens are free-range. Now here's the amazing Wow part! Today we had a HUGE storm. Wind, rain, lightning, thunder---the whole package! And I heard tiny little peeps.

I was pretty sure I was hearing things..
Looked outside and saw my hen, completely drenched out in the middle of the yard, looking extremely weak. Beside her were 2 tiny (extremely small) baby chicks, peeping frantically.

I raced outside to grab them, but was cautious because who knows if my hen would attack me. Apparently, she trusted me. She was being blown around by the wind, and was too exhausted to really do much. The chicks were however warm. I scooped them up first, ran inside, and put them in a box. I ran back out and found my hen lying on the ground panting. I snatched her up in a towel, dried her off, and fed her. She gained her energy pretty quickly, and then looked for her chicks. I put her in the box beside them and they went underneath her, peeping the entire time. Although extremely tired, she is being such a good mommy!

Remember my last thread about how I wanted to hatch eggs? Well, I got 2 babies now

We're keeping them, as long as they're not roosters... I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Please God let them be hens!

I'm so glad I happened to be there at the right time, though.
We think there must have been more. She's a small bantam hen, but does it make sense that she only had 2? If she had more, they must have gotten lost or died in this horrible storm. They are so small..

 

[easttxchick]

Poor things! So glad you found them when you did.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

Great story!

hens

hens

hens

 

[KMHunter]

That IS amazing! I love a happy ending!

It may be that only those two hatched out of however many eggs she layed. That is so awsome! Congrats!

 

[Hopefully]

Thanks guys!

I am so happy! I'm especially glad I happened to be home sick, because otherwise who knows what might have happened. I made a nest for them, put them in a dark corner, turned up the heater and now mama's nearly completely dry and asleep with her chicks burrowed underneath her wings.

Yes, please let them be hens! That would be perfect!
Also... one quick question..

We got rid of our rooster about a month and a half ago and gave him to my grandma (he was getting into our neighbor's yard). So we have no idea who fertilized these eggs. My mom thinks that maybe the fertilized eggs stayed inside of her until she decided to lay them... but there's a rooster down the street so I think she went to him. Any ideas?

Also..I should put a shallow bowl of water in the nest right? Are the chicks interested in drinking at this age? They are for sure less than a week old... I'm thinking 3-4 days old.

 

[b.hromada]

What a great story! I'm sure shes happy you found her and her little ones when you did!

 

[ozark hen]

good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kittymomma]

They'll lay fertile eggs anywhere from two to four weeks after the last time they were with the roo. That may explain why she only hatched two chicks though. Quite possibly only the first few eggs of her clutch were fertile. The chicks need to have water and food (chick starter, but you can grind up layer mix for tonight) available, but if you don't have a regular chick waterer available be sure that you put marbles or rocks in the shallow dish you use. Chicks can drown in a remarkably small amount of water so you have to be carefull.

Great story. It's so great that she made it home and what a bonus the chicks are.

 

[chookchick]

OH, great story! You need to get us some pics of those chicks and their brave mommy!

 

[Maryallison]

Oh congrats on your new chicks! What a wonderful story!