Two days ago, i discovered one of our cross breed hans (hatched here from our speckled sussex hen and buff orpington roo) nestled into the hillside sitting on a clutch of eggs. I assumed they wouldnt hatch because some were half buried in the sand and others on the edge were cooler than those in the center.
Chores started as usual this morning, but quickly ended up being a bit altered due to...
....finding a hen parading around with twelve chicks!
Fortunately I ended up outside before Ginger cat saw them. Will and I set up the chicken tractor and scooped them up into their new home space. Then I went out to see how many eggs were left in the nest and to clean up the nest and found....
The same hen sitting on her clutch of eggs. So....one of this hens siblings had a secret nest somewhere else, and by the looks of the chicks many other hens contributed to the clutch.
The rooster is mostly Auracana so we could have some interesting colored eggs. :). And...potentially more chicks from the other hen still sitting on eggs. We also recently traded 18 old hens (plus some cash) for 18 pullets who will start laying at the end of September. We should have plenty of eggs for farmers market next summer. It is fun to have peeps even if they are unplanned. :)
Posted with Blogsy
Such pretty chicks! Easter Egger hens are my favorite kind.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure a few of them will be "pure"Easter eggers. The roo is Easter egger too; not Auracana! Fell into that quagmire of Auracana, Americana, Easter egger didn't I?
DeleteWhat a lovely surprise! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen we had 'properly' free range hens, it was always a wonderful surprise to see a new mum turning up with a dozen chicks in tow. It gives one renewed faith in nature.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! A renewed faith in life in general!
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ReplyDeleteWhat a great story. This week I had a nine year old working on her interest inventory. She told me she was going to be an ornithologist when she grew up. Then she said in a sweet and serious voice, " I think ducks are the best. " I told her someone very important to me thinks just the same way and studied ducks as her life's calling. I had the write it on a sticky note so she could put it in her inventory. My students worked for a while and then just before we cleaned up she sweetly sidled up next to me and in almost a whisper asked to take the sticky note with her. She carried it as if it was breakable. Some days my job is so fun.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet....I think I may have recognized myself there both as the nine year old and the real life grown up. Thanks so much for sharing that. :)
DeleteI love the color of the little brown chick.
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