Tuesday, August 21, 2012

No More!

Vanilli has abandoned the eggs, so I guess we will only have the one chick this go around, but that's okay because we're so excited to have it. 

This weekend I was watching Vanilli dig up little bugs and drop them in front of the chick to eat.  To me it was such a special moment watching a Mama interact with her baby.  Chicks don't get that under a brooding lamp.

And sometimes when Vanilli settles down, the chick hops up on her back and runs around checking things out from up high on Mama.

We have Vanilli and the chick separated from the flock, mainly because I knew the rest of the flock would eat all of the chick feed and the chick never have enough feed to eat.  My suspicions were confirmed when I put out feed for the chick and Vanilli, and everyone congregated around the run trying to figure out how to get to the chick feed.  Their feed isn't good enough, and I guess having full run of the backyard isn't good enough either.  Little greedy buggers! 

Vanilli talks to it constantly and whenever I come around she positions herself between me and the chick, even though she knows I'm not going to hurt it.  The chick just looks up at me from behind Mama with that one-eyed chicken look.  It's so cute!

Happy homesteading,


Candace

8 comments:

  1. Oh how sweet! I am hatching eggs from an incubator right now, but to have a mama hatch her own baby is so special. You are so lucky! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. We have a small banty who goes broody ever year, last year she hatched one egg out of three. I had to keep them separate from the rest of the hens and rooster. The little peeper is what I called the chick, it turned out to be a rooster. He is so big now and a name change for him also Lakin. His real Mother was a barrel rock and Rhode Island Red was the Daddy. He really turned out to be a beautiful rooster. Good luck with yours, the chick is so cute. Ellen from Georgia

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  3. I have often wondered the same thing . . . who teaches the incubator hatched little chicks all they need to know? They seem to do all right but it just can't be the same.

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  4. @Mama Pea: While I know some things are instinctual, having a mama to teach is irreplacable.
    @Ellen: I bet he is pretty. Vanilli has been a broody hen since we got her, so hopefully she will be around next year to hatch some more. I'm hoping our chick isn't a rooster since we can use another layer.
    @Kelly: I don't have an incubator and never thought I would hatch any chicks so this is extra special to us.

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  5. Congrats on even one chick! I've been amazed at how well mama hens take care of and teach their chicks. I hope I never have to do purchased chickens again. Hen raised is so much better.

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  6. I felt the same way when our first broody hatched chick was with his momma. He was King of the World as long as she was right there next to him.

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    1. Yes, the chick is definitely her shadow. And she's a big bad mama, so she isn't taking anything off any of the other chickens when it comes to her baby.

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