Farm Fresh: Mama Hens

This week we had a small farm miracle. Our hen hatched her own chicks! Big sister A came racing in the house one morning, "Moooooom!!! There is a CHICK in the hen house! A chick!" Of course we have had lots of chicks, more than a hundred, arrive in the mail, but this one oh my! This is our very special first homegrown chick. Huey (mama hen) managed to stay on the eggs for another two days until the second chick hatched, but then abandoned the egg sitting in favor of chick rearing. She is showing them how to scratch and drink from the waterer, making lots of cute little noises that I have not heard my hens make before.  I tried to help the chicks back into the house last night and she furiously pecked my boot ( I was using it to fend off her attack).  In the end we just let her keep them wherever she wants to keep them. As we have with this whole process, we are trusting the mama hen's instincts to do what is best for her chicks.

 Meanwhile, poor Hero (black and white hen) has been sitting faithfully for more than 3 weeks, longer than the other mama hen.  Still no babies for her. I hope she can hatch some of her own. Aflac in the back there, is the most conscientious setter of the 3. I am quite sure that she will also hatch several chicks or ducks, she has both under her, in about 10 days.

 I decided that the Guinea Fowl are big enough to live outside and so they moved in with the turkeys this morning. They are huddled in the corner - very nervous. I am okay with that.  Guineas are supposed to be bullies among poultry so I am glad that they are not picking on the turkey poults. I am still inclined to say turkeys are my favorite poultry.  They are so friendly - climbed up to perch on me while I was watching the guineas settle in. If only they were prolific egg layers, then they would be perfect.

The guineas are the opposite of turkeys. We have tried to hold them and tame them, but they are flighty and wild.

 I am also trying to tame the geese. They are much less wild than the ducks and let me pet them while they are drinking or eating. I wish I had time to train them to come sit on my lap. We are waiting to see how they pair up before we sell or butcher any of them.  I was starting to let them free range in the yard last week, but a hawk killed one on Thursday evening. We are keeping them in for 5 days to make sure that the hawks return to other hunting ground. Soon they will be big enough to defend themselves, I hope.