My introduction to raising chickens began with a trip to the post office to pick up a little box packed with 27 two day old chicks. I’d never owned a chicken before and as I opened that box and saw 27 iddy biddy little faces staring back at me, I was overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility knowing that each and every one of them would be dependent on me for their survival. I took that responsibility very seriously. Some of you would say I took it TOO seriously, but that’s not the point of this post.
I fretted, worried, and fussed over those babies obsessively – and well beyond babyhood. And, ok, I STILL do that today, but that’s not the point of this post either.
I’m getting to the point. I promise.
OK here’s the point. I think. After watching my broodies with these six hatches this year, it occurs to me that mama hens don’t offer just a whole lot of babying to their biddies. Those babies are expected to hit the ground running – literally. They get quick, sharp pecks when they get out of line and they get left behind if they don’t keep up. I am sometimes appalled by all this.
Two days ago one of the broody moms took her chicks into the woods and one of her babies was busy scratching and pecking in the run and missed joining the procession as mama marched the others out of the run. When the baby realized she had missed out, she began screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. Mama began her dust bath and looked back at her chick as if to say “Well, figure out how to get your little fuzzy butt out here”. I just couldn’t hold my tongue.
“YOU were NOT raised that way! I would have NEVER left you behind like that and I would have NEVER let you cry like that. Where did you learn that type of behavior? Honestly! I raised you better than that!” But even before I finished my scolding, mama hen was rolling her eyes and settling down deeper in the dirt.
Yesterday the hatch before last was exactly 2.5 weeks old. They are still babies, for heavens sake! But as I went into the coop to tuck everyone in last night, I saw this:
No more piling into the nest to sleep at night. No more cuddling with mama and basking in her warmth. I almost grabbed every one of those babies and let them sleep with me in the bed. But after waking up with a baby goat next to him, Bernie has kinda laid down the law about who sleeps in our bed at night and, although I find him unreasonable on this subject, I figured I better not push it.
By the way, that’s Pico on the roost below the babies. Isn’t he turning into such a handsome boy? He’s a little horn dog, but he’s still darn good looking. The hen’s aren’t impressed with him though. They deny his advances as much as possible and beat the holy living tar out of him on a regular basis. Although I think a couple of them are coming around to his charm.
While I don’t always agree with their methods, these mama hens appear to be doing a great job raising these babies. I’ve offered advice and tips to them, but it falls on deaf ears. Hard headed little snots. I just don’t know where they get that from.
I hate to end this on a sad note, but earlier this week a Golden Penciled Hamburg came up missing. Bernie and I searched every inch of the yard, surrounding woods, and building on this place and could not find her. I find myself looking to see her rejoin the flock each day, but so far there has been absolutely no sign of her. It’s possible she wandered out of the fenced in yard and became a snack for a hungry animal, although these Hamburgs are extremely loud and we heard no sounds of distress the day she disappeared. I suspect she likely suffered the fate of the other three Hamburgs I’ve lost, but laid down to die somewhere we couldn’t find her.
The Golden Penciled Hamburg is a beautiful breed and they’ve added a fun dynamic to this flock, but I have no desire to add anymore. Losing four has been heartbreaking and I am fairly certain their deaths have been from genetic causes. I have three left. I hope they are around for a while.
Bee Free,
Penny
Penny, I can see myself fretting over my chickens just as you do. How dare those mommas not take your advice on rearing their babies! And speaking of babies, those 2.5 week old chicks are BIG! They grow so fast, don’t they? You have some very pretty birds in your flock. Sorry to hear of another loss. Hopefully, the Hamburg laid down to die in peace and didn’t become some other critter’s dinner!
Hi Lilla – Thank you! I really do think my chickens are beautiful – but I’m their mommy, so it’s nice to hear someone else say it
It truly is amazing how quickly those little chicks grow! Just this morning, I believe I see a little cockerel in that mix. Yesterday, I noticed he was bigger than the rest – and today his comb is suddenly larger and a deeper orange! And I do believe you’d be every bit as much of a mother hen as I am – you seem to love animals and get as attached quickly.
I to fret over me few chickens lol I made the teacher at our infant school cry back in Febuary lol……. the class had hatched 3 eggs that they had ordered online somewhere, the eggs arrived and they were hatched at school as part of some nature study thing….. the 4-7 year olds loved them, when I went to pick up J, A and R from the class back in Feb the chicks were making a hell of a racket in the box….. I told Mrs Cotton (Im known her for years not just as a teacher but as a friend) that the school were wicked to buy eggs to hatch cos if she had seen the way that Mabel had fussed over Marble and tucked her under her wing to keep her warm and showed her how to peck and eat and dust bath she would realise that the school chicks were just little orphans with no mummy to love them…….. SHE WAS ACTUALLY IN TEARS lmfao…….. the chicks when old enough went out to me matie Sashas farm to go with his lot
I do not think I could live without chickens in my life, I just so wish I had the room for loads and loads…….. I might have to sell up and buy something in the states and be the crazy old lonely chicken woman LOL
SOMETHING ARRIVED TO DAY
– beaming smile…….. email to follow
x
Marmy – I do know how you love your chickens! You need to move over here so I won’t be the only Crazy Chicken Lady in this area
I bought my little chicks through the mail when I started and I don’t regret it. But now that I’ve had the privilege of watching them absolutely thrive in their mother’s care, I won’t likely ever order any again. The difference between how quickly they learn, how confident they are, and how happy the seem is night and day between mama raised chicks and brooder raised chicks. At least this has been my experience.
Glad you got something in the mail. A week and a half isn’t as long as I thought it would take! I’m glad it brought you a smile.
Well, how dare those mama chickens? Im sure they are trying to them some kind of tough love, right? But Id have to say that it would be hard to sit back and watch. But, I mean, if you interrupted my bath…I just dunno what Id do either.
I love reading about everyones broody hens. I feel so left out. I keep pushing the hens back into the nest box, telling them to set, set darn you, they just snigger and slip out when Im not in there. Alas, no biddies.
Kelly
Frugalmom – have you been talking with my chickens???? I’m starting to understand this attitude of theirs……
Kelly – I wish I could advise on how to get them to go broody. I never expected mine to, they just sort of did it on their own. I have heard others say that leaving fake eggs, golf balls, etc. in the nest will encourage broodiness, but I’m not sure if there’s any truth to that. I do leave fake eggs in the nest boxes – but I removed them yesterday, just in case the rumor is true! I really don’t want any more broodies this year.
LOL…I have found that chickens aren’t the most loving and patient of mothers.
Sorry about the lost chickens. It’s always a drag when you can’t even find them.
I’ve only had two ‘momma hatched’ batches. I was fascinated by her attentiveness to their every little need. Since she never had more than 5 at a time, keeping track of them wasn’t too difficult.
CeeCee – it really is a drag to not be able to find one that disappears. This is the first time this has happened to me. I’ve lost several, but I’ve always found them just before they died – with the exception of the Leghorn the hawk killed.
Sadly, I believe we have kind of “found her”. I’m just too afraid to look after all this time. On one of our mail runs, Dolly suddenly appeared with a chicken foot in her mouth. We did try to back track and see where she got it, but never did. Well the next day Diesel went under some brush by the creek – in the same area Dolly was when I noticed she had the chicken foot. I called him out and he appeared with some feathers in his mouth – and they were the exact marking of my Hamburg’s feathers as best I could tell – they seemed to be rather faded. At any rate, after all this time, I decided it would be too gruesome to go into the brush and find her. And I really don’t think it would serve any purpose. I’ll never know why she died – she could have just had the genetic issue I’m convinced the other Hamburg’s had and just laid down to die, and then animals dragged her away. Or she could have been the victim of a predator. But I’d never be able to tell at this point.
Gee, I didn’t mean to write a whole blog in this comment! I tend to ramble.