Naturally raised chickens tend to get "broody" easily. That is to say, they want desperately to sit on a clutch of eggs until they hatch. My hens were particularly broody in June. I collected all their eggs anyway, despite their protests, but their production seemed to be declining and I was concerned they were hiding their eggs out in the weeds.
I decided to let one hen "set" and see what happened. The weather has been very hot and I figured if any chicks hatched they would feel right at home in the 90 degree heat. When I "brood" new chicks in the spring I always have to keep heat lamps on them to keep them 90 degrees.
The first thing I noticed was that egg production increased. The broody hen stayed on her nest and continued to lay eggs, but everyone else began using the other nest boxes again.
On August 1 one of the White Rock hens hatched two little chicks. I found them hiding under the nest box (which is suspended off the floor and screwed to the inside of the chicken house wall). Mom was in a nest box directly above them. I picked them up and put them in with her and they immediately disappeared under her feathers.
For the last week I've kept an eye on the chicks, making sure they had special baby chick food and easy access to water. I was afraid the rooster might kill them, or maybe one of the other hens, but they all seem to welcome the babies. One of the Buff Orpington hens immediately went to setting inspired no doubt by the little peeping noises made my the babies.
About day three the hen took the chicks outside. I was afraid that might be the end of them as we have a lot of hawks but today is their one week birthday and they are doing well. There is loads of pig weed around the hen house, brought in on some of last years hay, and that makes good cover. In fact, the hen beds down in the weeds each night with the chicks under her and I have to find them and transfer them to the hen house for the night. Enjoy the pictures and keep your fingers crossed that they keep going.
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