New Babies on the Homestead

 

So exciting, new babies on the homestead!  Midnight hatched her first egg the other day.  Updates to follow.

Golf Ball Eggs?

 

So are we laying golf balls now?  I think I've seen it all, LOL.  These hens this year.  I have a lot of older girls and they just aren't laying like they used to.  We have a lot of "free loaders" right now, thus the purchase and hatching of new little ones this past spring/summer.  We should be back in business by next spring.

When I saw this egg I just had to laugh.  When you have chickens, you inevitably get the odd shaped one every now and then, but I must say I have never had one quite this round and large before.  Generally a hen will lay the same shaped egg her whole life, with just a few anomalies here and there.  I'm pretty sure this is from my easter egger hatchling, Matilda, from last year.  What odd shaped or odd eggs have you seen in your flock?

July 2020 Chick Update

They look like mini chickens!  They are getting past that awkward teenage stage and growing up.  They are 4 weeks old and growing every day.  The two leghorns are really feathering out beautifully.  I still can't tell if the 4 she hatched are pullets or not.  At least 3 of them seem to be, if not all 4, but I just can't tell yet.  Would be awesome if they are all pullets!!  They are growing so fast and starting to outgrow their area a little.  I've tried to let Abigail out, but she keeps fighting with one of the lavender orpingtons.  I think I will need to move the two lavenders to the other red coop.  Easier said than done because I have the other mom with her one baby in the red coop separated and I don't want the lavenders to supersede her once she gets released with her chick.  It's a timing mess right now, but I'm sure it will work out.

The Abigail crew

I can't believe how fast they grow.  When I look at Abigail's group and then the other two moms with their babies and realize there is only about 5 days difference between the babies it is hard to believe.  The other babies that are only about 5 days younger are still quite fuzzy and not near as much feathering, but every day matters. Plus, I am thinking that the little one that is by itself in the red coop with mom is possibly a silkie mix chick (especially based on the lack of feathering).  Again, time will tell.  I am also sad that I think it might be a cockerel.

Josephine and her two cuties

I still can't imagine what it will be like when Josie's babies get bigger than her.  It will be interesting for sure.  She is just so small and petite.  The bigger they get the less of them she is able to cover when they try to hide under her or sleep at night.

There certainly has been plenty of drama this go round.  The mom in the red coop with just one baby is getting so stir crazy in their small hutch I have them in.  I let them out one day and I was certain the baby would be killed.  She wasn't doing a great job at protecting him, so I put the back into the hutch.  Then she really started going crazy and I was certain I could place the baby with Josephine or perhaps Abigail.  I let mom out and she didn't fuss too much when I took the baby away.  The baby however was screaming like crazy.  Long story short, neither Josephine or Abigail would take him in.  I ended up putting him back with his mom today.  I was glad she took him back and sorry she is cooped up.  I told her to give it at least 1 more week for her baby to get a little bigger.  I think he could make it ok if he were just a tad bigger.

How is your brood going?  Are you or have you hatched any out?  Do you separate your moms and babies from the rest of the flock? (I have found it better to separate than lose poor babies to crazy hens).

Baby Chick Time!

It's that time of year when I am wondering why some of my momma hens aren't going broody (want to hatch eggs) and then suddenly they are and then suddenly (actually 21 days later) we have chicks!  I needed more pullets (female chicks) so that I can increase my egg layers.  I am not able to fill my current egg orders, LOL.  I had more hens last year and got rid of a bunch because I did not have egg orders and had too many eggs.  So many of my hens are older now and not laying much but they are also pets to me and my son is attached to several of our earlier brood.  The solution, more chicks!

Abigail and some of her brood

Before all was done and said, I ended up with 3 broody moms and 13 chicks!  I ended up buying 6 pullets so I would be sure to have egg layers and the rest were hatches.  Abigail, one of my trusty moms hatched out 4 eggs, and then she took in the 6 I bought.

Josephine, my banty, sitting on two chicks

It's been a challenge housing them all, but I think I have it worked out at this point.  I have Abigail and Josephine sharing the brooder space in one of my coops and then another new mom with just one baby in a separate cage in another coop.  I have successfully let moms raise the babies and integrate them just fine into the main coop, but I have also lost chicks allowing them to do this.  I lost one this time too and it was a special one for me.  I have made the decision to never again let my moms hatch outside of the protection of a separate cage.  My plan at this point is to try to acquire some simple rabbit cages that I can put in two of my pens to be able to comfortably and safely house multiple broods.

Chick hatched by my new mom. Look at those fuzzy legs/feet!

There are some pretty and cute chicks hatched this time.  I cannot wait to see how they will feather out.  They change so much and often have a completely different color pattern as they age.  It's also amazing at how fast they feather out.

Another cutie that I am pretty sure is an easter egger mix.

It's been a lot more work having 3 mommas at the same time, but I think things are working out.  As the chicks grow it will no doubt get more interesting.  They'll start to outgrow their areas and I will be forced to let the moms integrate them into the flock. Hopefully, they will be a couple months old or older by that time.

So You Want to Get Some Chickens?

I don't know about where you are, but around here it's chick season again.  It's the time of year people are ready to start their flock or add to their existing flock.  If you are new to chickens then you might be wondering where you should start.  There is so much information out there about raising chickens and you will soon find that we all have our "opinions" on the best way to go about doing it.  My best initial advice is to research, research, research.  Then research some more!  Seriously, the more you can find out the better you will be at deciding what works best for you and your "farm."

Be on the lookout for a series of articles coming up where I will try my best to share what I have learned over the past 6 years of raising our chickens.  We started with just 8 straight run chicks and a small 4' x 8' coop and have now upgraded to 5 coops of various sizes and generally 45-50 chickens at any given time.  Oh, and we added 2 ducks last year.  It has been an educational and fun ride and I now understand the meaning of "chicken math."

Water Please!

 

The youngest group of chicks are growing up so fast and they are such characters!  Every night when I go to remove their water they come running out from under/around mama and demand to have one last drink.  Little stinkers!  It is so comical.  They are so big now they don't really fit "under" mom anymore.  They mostly just huddle around her and under her wings.  She has been so good to them.  I have really enjoyed this batch of chicks and am so sad that most of them seem to be cockerels.  I sure hope I am wrong.  I do know that the two Barred Rock mixes are both cockerels for sure.  Buddy and Dolly continue to be my best buddies.  I can't seem to keep Dolly off my back.  She is constantly trying to jump on me.  She's a sweetie.  Time will tell how many pullets and how many cockerels.  May the rest of your week be blessed.

Meet Buddy and Dolly

Meet Buddy and Dolly.  Two of my six youngest littles right now.  Sassy my tried and true broody mom is raising them with their four other siblings.  I'm a little scared of how many roos I might have this time.  I am so hoping I am wrong and that only two of them are roos.  Buddy (Barred Rock mix) and his barred rock mix brother are definitely both roos.  I am so hoping that Dolly (Buff Brahma mix) and the other three are pullets.  That being said I am reminded that I am also pretty sure that the brown one whom I named Brownie is probably a roo too.  That makes it three for three, ughhh.  I just hate getting attached to them and then having to cull them.  It's so hard to rehome roosters around here and we do raise them for eggs and meat.

Dolly, I'm hoping pullet and I think she is from Olivia my Buff Brahma

I already have two extra roos in this main (blue) coop from my second hatch earlier this year.  I have another extra roo in the 4H (red) coop from the first hatch of this year.  I am hoping to keep him as he looks pure Black Copper Maran (but is a mix).  My Black Copper Maran roo is with my head rooster (his dad) Junior in the 4H (red) coop.

Couple of cuties, Dolly (on my shoulder) and Buddy

I have been working very hard with this group and handling them every day.  A couple of them still don't like me but Buddy and Dolly have become my buddies.  I have to be careful to not lean over or this happens.  They roost on my shoulder, back, or arm, whatever they can land on!  They are both so sweet and I am enjoying their friendship.  I hope it continues as they mature.  I've had so many in the past that I have tamed, but then things get busy and before I know it they don't want anything to do with me, LOL.

Baby Chicks Are Growing So Fast!

The babies are getting big and growing so fast!  Still not sure how many boys and girls.  I know for sure one of the six is a rooster and am suspecting there may be a few more.  Hoping for more pullets, but time will tell.  They are all strong and healthy and momma Sassy is doing a good job raising them (as usual).  I am so excited about the little Brahma chick and hope it is a "she."

Brownie front and center :)

 
Essentially they are all mutts since they are mixed, but I love genetics and how things play out.  Even with a barred rock cross rooster, some of the traits are so strong.  Two of the chicks are plainly easter eggers and look just like a pair you would buy in the store. I suspect my little brown chick, Brownie, is also an easter egger cross (Easter Eggers are already a mutt breed to begin with but they do breed true if you cross an EE rooster with an EE hen). 
It's fun to watch them grow and I can't wait to see what we end up with.  Hopefully more girls!

Our weather has been crazy lately and last night was no exception.  We went from 80 degrees one day to a low of 35 last night!  Poor molting chickens were not too amused. I actually turned on the radiant heater panel for any who might need the extra warmth.  I have a few going through a pretty hard molt and without the feathers to keep them warm they will get chilled pretty easily.  It also didn't help that it rained most of the day so it was wet, cold, and pretty miserable!  How is your weather?  Do you think we wil at least get to enjoy a short fall?  I hope so!   I love this kind of weather.

Baby Updates

The babies are doing well.  They are now 4 days old (5 when you read this) and growing fast.  It always amazes me how fast they grow and mature.  This batch seems to be extra bold so it will be very interesting to observe them as they grow.  Of the 6 I think and hope only 2 are roosters (or none!).  I am absolutely in love with the brown chick.  We have never had a brown chick before and she is gorgeous.  A kind of chocolatety brown with some black mottling.  She was the weakest at first but seems to have pulled through just fine.  We didn't lose any chicks that hatched.  Of the unhatched eggs there were at least 3 that had developed but not fully enough to hatch.  Mom, Sassy, is doing a great job as usual.

LOVE the color of this chick!

 I am trying to be sure to take the time to handle them as much as I can, but I always seem to be in a rush so, not as much as I'd like most days. The teens in the red coop are doing well and I really need to do an update on them.  The rooster is looking really good.  Hope he continues to do well the head rooster in that coop.  I'd like to keep them both.  If trouble begins I'm not sure who will get to stay.  Probably the new roo since he looks more purebred Copper Marans than the other.  The other babies who are now tweens in the blue coop are also doing well and growing.  I think we may have 2 roos and 1 pullet though.  Not so happy about that but it is what it is.

She's such a good momma

It's hard to believe that the first official day of fall begins tomorrow.  Our weather has been too hot here for me to think fall, but we should have a cooler week this week until the heat hits again over next weekend and throughout the following week. How are your temps?  Are you ready for fall?

We Have New Babies Again!

My steady broody Buff Orpington Sassy has hatched us another clutch of eggs again.  I let her set 12 this time but I think we still only have about a 50% hatch.  Part of the problem may be one of my roosters.  One of my special roosters may be sterile or something because I am sure I have tried to set his eggs before.  This time I actually marked them and I don't think any of his have hatched  I will know more tomorrow.  I am still letting her try to hatch till probably tomorrow.  Then I will remove any unhatched eggs.

Love it when they snuggle up under mom.  He kept hiding.

 

The incubation couldn't have been any more perfect.  I was able to fully separate her from day one and all the eggs were put under her at the same time.  I've never been able to successfully do that before.  I was so hoping for a better hatch rate.  Grateful for the 6 sweeties we have so far.  I'm still not sure one of them will make it.  It has been pretty weak from hatch and still wasn't getting around very well this afternoon.   We have two Easter Eggers, two Plymouth Barred Rocks, one Buff Orpington, and a miscellaneous blackish one.  They are all of course just barnyard mixes since my head rooster is a Barred Rock mix.  It's gonna be fun to see how everyone feathers out.

I am suspecting that the little one in all of these pictures is a cockerel.  He is bold, sassy, and just full of life right now.  He is always front and center (why he is in all the pics) and doesn't seem to be aftraid of much.  The others keep running everytime I try to take pictures!  I will eventually get a shot of all of them.  Patience!  For now i will just enjoy watching them and handling them as much as I can.  So glad they are safe and sound in the nursery and I don't have to worry about them being pecked on or trampled on.

The Teenagers Are Growing!

The baby chicks in the red coop are growing!  They are considered teenagers at this point and look like miniature chickens, so cute!  I'm pretty sure I have at least 2 pullets at this point and am hoping that the lighter one is also a pullet though I suspect it is a cockerel.  The 4th one is definitely a cockerel.  He has had quite a prominent comb from the beginning and it is only getting bigger!

They are pretty skittish since they don't get a lot of handling from anyone and Junior, the rooster in that coop has been harassing them pretty bad lately.  I am anxious to see what the one definite cockerel will feather out to look like.  He has slightly feathered legs like a Maran but he still seems to be all black with no highlights.  Time will tell.  

For now, I will enjoy their cuteness and hope for more pullets. They do seem to hang together pretty well which is nice when they are being picked on.  They seem to help each other out for the most part and get along pretty well as a small group.

The Three Amigos Take 2

More new life on the farm.  One of my Easter Egger hens that kept going broody last year went broody again this year.  She lost both hatches last year so I deemed her an unfit mother (I suspected her to be the cause of death of her chicks).  She was on the cull list but never got culled.  She was adamantly going broody again this year so I decided to give her another go.  I let her sit on 3 eggs.  She hatched them and is being a great momma.  I am so happy I gave her another chance.  There is just no telling what happened last year.  Maybe she is just older and wiser now.  At any rate, she is doing a great job.  One of the eggs even got cracked (by me!) about a week before hatch day and it hatched just fine.

Lesson to learn.  Do not give up.  Grace rules and second chances are not overrated.  I am excited that we had a 100% hatch rate on this batch.  We have had too many chick losses this year so I hope this last batch continues well.  The first 4 chicks are doing well.  They are growing and feathering in.  I think we have 3 cockerels and 1 pullet, but hoping we have at least 2 and 2.

3 of the 4 first hatch babies (2 are enjoying the sun!)

A heat wave just hit us so keeping everyone cool is going to be challenging.  I'm grateful for some insulated coolers that I have to help keep the water cooler longer.  I need to get a few more and definitely need to get my water misters installed around the runs.  Hope you are enjoying your summer.  Many blessings!

New Life on the Farm

I had to take a moment to share our newest baby on the farm.  Just hatched this morning.  Dee Dee, one of our hatchlings from last year has hatched her first egg!  I can't wait to get a better look at the little one.  It had fallen out of the nest this morning and I just happened to be out doing chores and heard it peeping VERY LOUDLY.  I put it back in the nest with mama and all was well.  Not sure who the papa is.  Hope I can figure it out once I get a better look. I had moved eggs around so it may have come from my other coop.  Hope the other two eggs she is sitting on also hatch.  Happy fluffy butt Friday!

The Babies are Here!

New life on the farm.  I just love when my broody hens get some hatchlings.  Our first hatch day was supposed to be May 30 but one came early on May 29.  Several others followed on May 30.  By today, May 31 we had 5 new baby chicks.  She still had 6 other eggs to hatch.  One was definitely bad (it smelled!).  But the other 5 could still be viable.  She quit sitting them this afternoon.  By this evening I put them under another hen who is sitting eggs.  We shall see what the outcome is.  If they don't hatch within a few days then I will be pretty sure that they are just not viable.  Perhaps not fertilized or something else happened.

Here are a couple pictures of the cuties.  It's always more fun when mom hatches them out.  They end up not being quite as tame, but they generally are hardier than those I buy in the store.

I'll keep you updated on them as they grow.  Can't wait to find out how many pullets we might have.  Don't have any room for any more roosters!

May your day be blessed.

It's Chick Time Again

It's that time again!  Chick days!  All you chicken lovers out there have no doubt either placed your orders for chicks, already have them or are anxiously awaiting for your hens to go broody.  I am hoping I have at least one broody hen this spring but I am still waiting.  Mine tend to brood about April/May.

I did give 25 hatching eggs to a friend who lost her flock to predators and she has started incubating them.  Can't wait to see what hatches!  I will, of course, follow up with a blog post when the time comes. Chicken eggs incubate for 21 days to hatch.  Stay tuned for updates!

Are Eggs All They are Cracked Up to Be?

Everyone who knows me knows that I am the "crazy chicken lady."  I started on my "chicken journey" 5 years ago and I have never looked back.  There is a known fact in the chicken world called "chicken math."  Chicken math is when the bug to keep chickens takes over and you just HAVE to get that one more chicken or breed.

When we moved to our property in the fall of 2007 I just couldn't wait to start our "farm."  I knew we couldn't do it right away but I was busting at the seams to get started.  I never realized it would take 7 (YES SEVEN) years till I would finally get some chickens.  There are a lot of reasons why but that is for another story on another day.  I was so proud to start out with almost free chickens and a cheap little prefab coop (yet another story!!) I found on sale at our local farm store.  Thus began the journey and learning curves!!  My "free" chickens were straight run and free because of a rebate.  I knew what straight run meant (the chicks are not sexed so you don't know if you are getting boys or girls) but did not realize at the time that they are usually picked over by the time you get yours and you pretty much end up with all boys!  Of our first 10 chicks I think 8 of them were boys if I remember correctly!!

So, I started with the modest 10 chicks.  Once they grew and we knew we had mostly boys, it was time to cull (process to eat) the unwanted extra boys.  I rehomed 1 and kept 2 and the others went to what we call "freezer camp" for future meals for our family.  I wanted chickens for meat and for eggs so this was ok but I didn't want to start out that way!  Our next batch of chicks was intentionally purchased as pullets (young female chicks).  I have to say that in the 5 years that we have purchased chicks from our local farm store there has only been one time (and that was in the beginning) when one of the pullets ended up being a cockerel (young male chick).

So now we had two pullets and two cockerels from our initial purchase.  We purchased I think 6 more pullets and then by that fall we purchased some more pullets.  We had to rehome another rooster because they weren't getting along.  I think we had about 12-15 chickens by the end of that first year.  By the next spring I got chick fever again and purchased more and the story goes on.  Now not only do I purchase chicks but I have some hens that go broody (want to hatch chicks) and we hatch some of our own too.  I am currently at 54 chickens right now.  I have 8 roosters and 46 hens. You should only have about 1 rooster per 10 hens but I also have multiple pens.  Two of my roosters are currently locked up separately due to the excess at the moment.  Again, another story for another day.

We still have 2 chickens from our original crew and many from shortly thereafter.  There are quite a few that should be culled but will not be due to them being my son's pets from the beginning.  We keep that down to a minimum these days but it is hard.  You do get so attached to them.  But I must remember, they are also provision for my family.  We got them for eggs and meat, but the occasional pet is just fine by me too.

Speaking of eggs.  Let's wrap this up.  I meant to talk about the eggs and got off track!!  I cracked the eggs in the picture above the other day and it reminded me about some myths and misconceptions about chicken eggs.  Fact: there are only two colors of eggs, white and blue.  All other egg colors are variations of these.  Different chicken breeds lay different color eggs.  Fact:  Brown eggs and white eggs are the same!  The brown egg color is actually "sprayed or painted" on by the hen before it is laid.  The retail industry has you convinced that brown eggs are farm eggs and thus healthier for you.  ALL eggs are farm eggs!!!  Brown eggs are not necessarily healthier or better for you than white eggs.  Nutritional value of an egg is dependent on what the chickens are fed.  Chickens that are free ranged or able to eat more grass and bugs are going to lay eggs that will be healthier for you.  Fact: chickens are omnivores so they eat both plants AND animal products (yes they will even eat chicken!!).  Fact: lighter yolked eggs are not necessarily less nutritious than darker yolks.

Even backyard chicken keepers are proud of their darker yolked "farm fresh" eggs.  The problem is that again, the nutrition of the egg is dependent on what is fed to the chicken.  As you can see from the picture above, yolk color does not always guarantee that one egg is healthier than another.  My flock is all fed the same diet and forage on the same ground, yet look at the difference in yolk color.  Two of the above eggs were such a beautiful deep orange color compared to the paler looking yolk.  It's possible that their bodies processed the food differently or perhaps they foraged for bugs and treats better than the hen who laid the lighter yolk.  You can feed certain food and supplements to cause your yolks to take on rich dark colors, but it does not necessarily mean it is more nutritious.

I hope this clarifies some interesting facts about chickens and their eggs.  Comment below for any additions you have or questions about this subject.  May your day be blessed, and hopefully warmer, in this crazy polar vortex weather we are having lately.

Her Name Shall Be "Fluffy"

Not the best of pics but this is one of the babies currently on our homestead.  She is a Light Brahma and a pet for my son.  I told him she must have a name at this point.  I can't get her to come to her name if she doesn't have one.  He has wanted a Light Brahma for some time now so when I had the chance we got one.  She is pretty cute but VERY flighty and not tame at all.  Brahma's are supposed to be very friendly and pretty tame so hopefully, she will eventually settle down.  We bought her at our local farm feed store along with 2 Australorps and 3 Amber Links.  The Amber Links turned out to be something else we are still trying to figure out (possibly Calico Princess) and one of them died within the first week.

Back to the subject of her name, he said "Fluffy."  Now mind you I am guessing her name is part of a recent inside joke where we had seen a pretty funny video on a social media site that was a talking chicken by the name of "Janet" talking about her "fluffy bum bum feathers."  It is the new joke in our house that I think will stick for a little while anyway.

The rest of the babies are doing well and growing like weeds.  The Rhode Island Whites are huge!  Almost the size of my full grown hens.  I sure hope they are pullets.  Time will tell with all of them.  I already know that of the 18 baby chicks we currently have at least 6 of them are roosters, possibly 7 or more!  Five of them are pullets for sure because we bought those.  That would leave 7 of them that are still unknown at this point.  Both Lavenders are really looking like pullets.  I will be surprised if either of them is a rooster.

To add to the crazy one of my Maran hens is sitting again!  Someone broke one of her eggs today and it was the one I intentionally placed under her to hatch.  Bummer!  Maybe next time.

What exciting things are going on in your homestead? 

Snake!

I was in the coop the other day collecting eggs and checking on the babies and saw this!!! Ughh!  It is most of a snake skin that has been shed.  The rest of it was intertwined into the chicken wire that divides this section for my babies.  I don't currently have any babies in that part right now.  So grateful for that!

Snakes in the chicken house are NO GOOD!  Especially with the babies I have in there right now.  I have littles, tweens, and teens.  I have been doing careful headcounts on all of the littles at least once or twice a day. 

Never did find any snake but several months back hubby found one in the coop and just the other day they found one down by the septic drain area.  I know we have the black rat snakes around but it's important that they don't enter my chicken yard or coop!  Can't believe it got past all the chickens!  And shame on my roosters, they should have been able to scare it off.  Who knows.

Have you had any interesting visitors to your coop lately?

Pip and Pepper - Baby Chick Update

Remember Pip?  The cute fuzzy rejected chick that was adopted by another broody hen I had?  She's growing up!  At least I am still hoping she is a she!  Her and her 3 siblings are doing great.  I already know that one is a cockerel (rooster) and another is definitely a pullet (hen).  The cockerel is a Barred Rock cross (he looks purebred) and the pullet is an Australorp cross.  I am still hoping that Pip's other sibling, Pepper, is a pullet also. She's certainly sassy as all get out.

Pip and Pepper when they were MUCH younger, LOL

The other 14 babies we have are also doing great and I will need to get updates on them also.  Can't believe we have 18 babies!!!  We had 19 but one of the pullets perished within 2 days after we brought her home.  She was one of the production breeds from the store when I purchased those last 6 for my other broody hen who ended up rejecting them anyway!  Bertha, the second broody mom who was already raising 7 took on the extra 6 (now 5).  Five of the twelve are still fairly small and should still have their mom with them but since the others were older she decided to give them all the boot.  She is no longer mothering them and they are on their own.  They are all doing well and pretty much stick together and watch out for one another.  My main coop crew are all used to having babies run around so it hasn't been too much of a problem.

I find it so adorable that Pip and Pepper have remained good friends.  Pepper really does look out for little Pip.  It is quite cute.

Pepper now :)

Pip is a cross from my all white Olive Egger hen (Snow White) and our black silkie, Sir Galahad.  She is special because we had to rehome Sir Galahad and I got news that he has disappeared from his new home.  It would be nice to be able to keep Pip around.  Pepper is a cross from one of my Easter Eggers and my Barred Rock cross roosters (either Kristoff or Percival).  I just LOVE those fuzzy cheeks!

Time will tell on all the littles.  At this point I am pretty positive I have at least 3 roosters and I'm sure more will turn up.  I still have really high hopes for both of my Lavender Orpingtons to be pullets.  I'll leave you with another cute picture of Pip.

I just LOVE those fuzzy little boots!!  LOL

MORE Broody Momma Drama!

Oh, my goodness.  In the 4 1/2 years of chicken keeping, I have never had as much trouble as now with my broody mommas.  From leaving the nest to attacking babies.  I am done.  So grateful for my two steady mommas, Sassy and Gertrude.  Gertrude was a mom once before but it's been a couple years.  Sassy is my super mom.  She has now raised at least 5 broods over the past two years.  When she goes broody, I know I can count on her to hatch and/or take care of chicks for me.

I had one final order of chicks for a broody mom that wouldn't get off the nest.  She was a new mom and I suspected she may not make the cut.  She is the one I suspected of injuring our first hatchling but I chalked it off to a failed hatch.  I tried introducing chicks to her twice and she didn't seem to go for it so I gave them to other moms.  When my final order of pullets came in I tried for the last time to give them to her.  She attacked.  We're done.  I have her tagged and she will forever be forbidden to hatch eggs or sit in the future.  It is what it is.  Like I said, I'm just grateful for my trusty mommas.

I thought I had it all figured out.  Based on the ages and stages of the babies I had a plan to split them fairly evenly between my two mommas.  We did the changes and introductions at night.  All seemed well until . . . I went to release Sassy in the morning into her pen with her babies and she began attacking the new babies as they approached the feed with her current brood.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  This was my adoptive mom who graciously took Pip in when her mom rejected her.  The new babies were almost the same age as her current brood so I thought it would be ok.

I have learned that at a certain age, the moms just don't seem to consider them babies anymore and chalk them off as the enemy.  Poor babies.  We had to rescue them and give them back to Gertrude who was originally raising them.  I had taken them from Gertrude so she could raise the new babies with a few of her smaller ones from her original brood.  End result . . . Sassy kept her original 3 plus Pip, Gertrude now has her original 7 plus the 6 new babies!  Poor Gertie is now in charge of 13 babies ranging from 1- 4 weeks old!  She is such a trooper and great momma.  She took them all in without a fuss and her current brood seem to be getting along with them just fine with no fighting or pecking.  Never a dull moment in the chicken yard.