As I came into the cool darkness of the coop, I spied this quaint little scene:
Baby Chicks!!
Now, it wasn't a total surprise to me, as mama hen has been broody for weeks now and we made the decision before George Michael left to let her have a go at raising a few fuzzies of her own. Still, I had started to think that perhaps things didn't take and we would have to rouse her off the nest fairly soon.
I ran back to the house right away and got the kids (and the camera) and we sat and watched them for about a half hour. Mama was very calm about it all and let us get close, though we didn't try to touch the babies. It was cute to see them scurry back underneath her wings when startled and then peek out again to check us out.
I put out a little feed and mama showed the babies how to peck. And there is nothing more hilarious than a chick scratching it's food with those tiny little feet!
We also added a small water font which the hen also demonstrated for her chicks. The marbles prevent the chicks from standing in, or drowning in the water.
There are only 3 chicks right now but there are still another 3 eggs that have been incubating. Some eggs in this photo belong to other hens, but I marked the fertilized eggs at the beginning of the process to be able to tell the difference. Although we have raised hundreds of chickens from babies, we have never let a hen raise her own so this is a completely new treat for us. I'm not sure if we'll separate the mother and babies from the rest of the coop yet, or let her stay as she is. My concern is predators as the barn is open during the day. Stay tuned for updates!
Now, it wasn't a total surprise to me, as mama hen has been broody for weeks now and we made the decision before George Michael left to let her have a go at raising a few fuzzies of her own. Still, I had started to think that perhaps things didn't take and we would have to rouse her off the nest fairly soon.
I ran back to the house right away and got the kids (and the camera) and we sat and watched them for about a half hour. Mama was very calm about it all and let us get close, though we didn't try to touch the babies. It was cute to see them scurry back underneath her wings when startled and then peek out again to check us out.
I put out a little feed and mama showed the babies how to peck. And there is nothing more hilarious than a chick scratching it's food with those tiny little feet!
We also added a small water font which the hen also demonstrated for her chicks. The marbles prevent the chicks from standing in, or drowning in the water.
There are only 3 chicks right now but there are still another 3 eggs that have been incubating. Some eggs in this photo belong to other hens, but I marked the fertilized eggs at the beginning of the process to be able to tell the difference. Although we have raised hundreds of chickens from babies, we have never let a hen raise her own so this is a completely new treat for us. I'm not sure if we'll separate the mother and babies from the rest of the coop yet, or let her stay as she is. My concern is predators as the barn is open during the day. Stay tuned for updates!
1 comment:
Aw, baby chicks! I don't think it can get any cuter than that.
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