Last night, Tater found a brand spanking new clutch of eight chicks with a broody hen. She was sitting on six more eggs, and this morning there are three more tiny babies. Doesn't this momma hen know that two days before the fall weather dips down into the 50's at night is not the time to bring new chicks into this world? Buck and Tater put the proud hen, eleven peeping and adorable chicks, and the three remaining smooth eggs into a rather crowded box. Once Buck put the heat lamp on, the babies gravitated right to it. I wonder, since the timing is so off, if this bunch will make it.
Gorgeous photo taken by Tater
4 comments:
Awww...
I miss having baby chicks. How long could you keep them near a heat lamp, do you think? Will they need it until their feathers come in?
How nice that Tater got to find them. Life is very persistent...
Yes it is! That young man has many talents!
Give him a big ol hug from his
Auntie S (and Maggs & Pauly too)
This made me miss having hens and chicks. One year the chicks hatched very late in the season. Actually two hens had a communal nest and would take turns scooting as many eggs underneath themselves as they could when the other hen went to eat. When the chicks hatched it was snowing lightly. As many chicks as could huddled under one hen and then the rest jumped on her back and the other hen jumped up on her back and settled onto the chicks and all stayed warm. Pretty cool, eh? We always called that a McChicken Sandwich. :)
Almost, They will need the lamp till their feathers come in, but the bigger issue is the loss of cover of leaves when preditors come- we have lotsa chicken hawks, foxes, and raccoons who come sneaking for food.
And life is very persistant- it's a blessing just for that boy.
Auntie S, will do.
Hope, love that is such a sweet story.
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