My independent hen Martha - bless her heart - was broody. She thought she had a stash of eggs, as she knew she laid them. I gathered them. She sat anyway on the cat's blanket. So I took another egg from a setting hen and gave it to her. I didn't even know if it was fertilized. So she sat....
I had almost given up hope that it would hatch and threw it away. When Martha jumped off the nest to go for a drink, Anna picked up the egg and it was hatching. You could hear the cheep cheep through the shell.
When she saw us, she came running back with wings bowed out to sides "cluck, cluckin away." Of course, we ran (she actually pecks really hard!) and sat back on the egg. Just as it was getting dark, it started to thunder and pour down rain. I ran outside and threw a tarp over them for extra protection. I wasn't sure if the little chick would make it. I find it best to just let "nature take its course" when dealing with things like this. In the morning I lifted up Martha's belly and there was a little chick - alive.
I took them both over to the chicken coop and made them a nice nest inside one of the cages. Martha did something so endearing, I just loved it! I made a circle in some fresh hay for her nest and laid the wet little chick in the middle, she jumped right on top and quickly grabbed the pieces of hay with her beak and pulled them over he back and wings. She was fluffing up her nest. I love it when hens do this!
Here is the chick later in the day - all fuzzy. It has fuzzy legs, so I'm thinking this egg was one crossed with the Silkie rooster.
Chick count to date: Martha - 1
Henny Penny - 4
Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.
I had almost given up hope that it would hatch and threw it away. When Martha jumped off the nest to go for a drink, Anna picked up the egg and it was hatching. You could hear the cheep cheep through the shell.
When she saw us, she came running back with wings bowed out to sides "cluck, cluckin away." Of course, we ran (she actually pecks really hard!) and sat back on the egg. Just as it was getting dark, it started to thunder and pour down rain. I ran outside and threw a tarp over them for extra protection. I wasn't sure if the little chick would make it. I find it best to just let "nature take its course" when dealing with things like this. In the morning I lifted up Martha's belly and there was a little chick - alive.
I took them both over to the chicken coop and made them a nice nest inside one of the cages. Martha did something so endearing, I just loved it! I made a circle in some fresh hay for her nest and laid the wet little chick in the middle, she jumped right on top and quickly grabbed the pieces of hay with her beak and pulled them over he back and wings. She was fluffing up her nest. I love it when hens do this!
Here is the chick later in the day - all fuzzy. It has fuzzy legs, so I'm thinking this egg was one crossed with the Silkie rooster.
Chick count to date: Martha - 1
Henny Penny - 4
Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.
She wanted a baby chick~~I love the way you care so much for your animals~~I love my horses~~ hikchik/Vikki
ReplyDeleteSO cute!
ReplyDeleteOh! I'm so glad Anna picked up the egg! Such a cute chick! Some hens have good mothering instincts and Martha is one of them! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering how Martha is doing! What a great hen you have there! Adorable little chick too!!
ReplyDeleteOH, what a wonderful story! We have a hen, named Israel, who hatched 22 chicks for us last year! She is sitting on a nest of 1 this time...almost done. We should have checked earlier and given her more to hatch, but one will be enough. What a wonderful role model - those broody hens!! Dicky - please find me on Facebook!
ReplyDeleteAwe how sweet is that ! . All she wanted to do was be a Mama ! Glad all worked out well . Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteThis is the first spring Mom has not set a hen. The grandloves would always look for the baby chicks. Nature has a way of surprising us tho. Many times, once the chickens were let go to free range each morning, at least on of them would decide to set. I hope it happens again. I know Mom misses seeing a family of fluffy chicks running and pecking about the yard. Sweet baby you and Martha have there. Loved this.
ReplyDelete