Posts Tagged broody

Well,with the warm sunny weather,a lot of my hens have gone broody.Nothing unusual about that,I suspect anyone reading this has also got hens that are broody.
This is about 2 of my hens, that are sitting a clutch of eggs.

On my patio,I’ve got a trio of pekins,2 black hens with a lovely splash cockerel that I got off Sue(Victoria’s poultry)who has the original name of Splash,his wives are called Bella(I think that is Italian for beautiful)and Midnight.

Last year,Bella successfully sat and hatched chicks for me,and,she started sitting on some eggs that she and Midnight had laid a few weeks ago.
Not to be outdone,Midnight followed suit,and also started sitting on a clutch of eggs.So there are the two of them,sat right next to each other(so they can pinch each other’s eggs)with Splash doing his best to look after both of them.Calling them for food,and,standing over them both, talking to them.
Well today,their first little chick hatched out.
Only,it isn’t one of theirs,it’s a white pekin,from an egg I gave to one of them.
I got up this am,and,when I looked out the window,Bella or Midnight was showing this cute white baby where the food is.
Wondering if the other hen had taken this golden opportunity to steal her other eggs,I went out and opened their bedroom door.
No,Splash was installed on the eggs,I lifted his skirts(feathers)and there were the eggs safely tucked under him.
I checked they had plenty of food/water and left them to it.
When I checked later,Splash had been evicted from egg duty,and both hens were once again,sitting tight.
Wondering if any more were likely to hatch today,I candled the rest of the eggs-no more were fertile.So,their single chick is now called Solo,and,hopefully,will be a girl.
None of them seem to have twigged that Solo is actually not any of theirs,but,a cuckoo that I gave them.