Wow! Just Wow! So Amazing!

[annie3001]

sweeett story ! glad for the happy ending too!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Hens can hold the seed from one mating session for a period of time to be used to fertilize future eggs. I don't remember how long that time might be, but it is possible these are your rooster's chicks. The hen takes time to build her clutch before setting, laying one egg a day until she gets her magic number. Then they all begin to develop at the same time once she begins to set all day long on them.

So perhaps these chicks are from the first few eggs she laid, which may have still been fertile from her last coupling with your roo, but the rest of the eggs she laid were infertile. So these could be the only chicks that hatched, and she made a heroic effort to bring them to safety.

Do supply them with chick starter to eat, even the hen can eat it while she's tending her chicks. And certainly give them water, in a drinking fount if you have one. Chicks start eating & drinking as soon as they leave the nest, usually the day after they hatch.

I hope they are the hens you want, but go ahead & make plans for their future in case they're roos.

 

[ranchhand]

Fantastic ending and beginning of a new story!

Yes, a shallow bowl of water, but put some marbles/rocks in it so they can't get their faces in and drown. Dip their beaks a couple times, so they get the idea. Also put out some chick starter- don't let them have layer food, too much calcium for chicks. Mama can eat the starter, too, for a while.

Since Mama Hen had a hard time out by herself, give her and the chicks some plain yogurt and scrambled eggs. They'll love it and it's a great booster for them.

Hope they are pullets!

 

[henryetta]

how wonderful...and how scarry to see them out there!!! so glad you were home, and hopen for girls for ya... Sure hope we get updates on this...sure is neat!

 

[Tonopah Pati]

What a great story. So glad they are OK

 

[Hopefully]

Thanks for the awesome advice! I agree, this is pretty neat

If they are roosters, we'll put them on my grandma's farm. She has plenty of space and some hens that would enjoy having a rooster around.. but I'm still hoping they'll be hens...

Any name ideas? One is dark with a stripe running down the back, and the other is the same only lighter. I was thinking Sugar for the light one and Spice for the dark one, so it'd be Sugar and Spice... but I'm still thinking about it

I'll let all you guys know what happens in the morning

 

[chookchick]

Hansel and Gretel? oops Hanseletta?

 

[Kittymomma]

Wendy and Rain or Rainy?

 

[Hopefully]

Ooh a couple questions! Sorry, I'm so overwhelmed right now, I still can't believe this happened

!

1. Is it OK to leave the chicks with their mom and how long? Can they be together for life? And how often should my hen be getting out of the nest I made for her... will she feel the need to roam around and exercise, or will she want to stay on the nest for awhile?

2. Why does my hen sit on top of the chicks? She pulls them under each wing... is this just to keep them warm?

3. When I go near my hen, she sort of screeches. She doesn't peck or attack, but she lets out a screech. Why?

4. How old should the chicks be before letting them all back outside? And how to introduce them to my other hen? She doesn't know there are chicks and she's living outside totally fine, but do you think she'd attack the chicks when they go outside?

I guess that was more than a couple of questions, but if you can answer them, I'd be really, really thankful!

 

[BirdMom]

I'm no expert, but I'll try to answer a few of your questions until someone more knowledgeable comes along.

1. Yes, it's safe to leave her with them. Chicks raised by their mother is the ideal situation. Once they're old enough to take care of themselves, she'll let them know, but they can stay in the same flock.

2. Yes, the mother hen tucks the babies under her feathers to keep them warm. Since I've only had incubator chicks so far, I give them a feather duster to simulate a mama hen. They love it and burrow into it to sleep.

3. Your hen is screeching to warn you about messing with her chicks. Sounds like she's a great mama hen and isn't going to let anything happen to her babies if she can help it.

4. Not really sure on this one. The mama will keep them warm enough. Do you have a shelter or coop outside for your chickens? There's a good possibility she'll protect her chicks from the other hen, but the other hen may attack the chicks and can do harm before the mama can help them sometimes. Just introduce them cautiously and slowly, and be prepared to protect the chicks if their mama can't.

Good luck, and congratulations on your little surprise chickies.