The broody season kicked off in true style with one of my Silkie hens diligently sitting for three long weeks, and hatching absolutely nothing! Her motherly urge was so powerful that she remained seated for another three weeks with a fresh clutch of eggs kindly replaced by Olivia. Sadly, however, after this long ordeal she produced a total of zero offspring. I promptly moved her back outside with the others where she has been thoroughly alienated. The other Silkies are proud co-parents to four confident, well-rounded Pekin chicks... happily sharing the burdens of parenthood, there is no room for another helper!
Generally, it is unusual for two hens to join forces, but not an uncommon occurrence in the realms of Chicken Corner. It occurs if you take an attitude of ‘just let them get on with it’. All those weeks ago, I placed six eggs in each of their nests, but as the days went by, one nest ended up with 12 and the other zero and vice versa. It was clear there was some ‘swapping and switching’ going on – least it was spicing up their lives a bit I guess. This procedure probably sabotaged the hatching success rate, which needs a severe going-over if we’re going by the figures thus far.
These two hens are very protective over their chicks, making all the conventional mother-hen kerfuffle during every action they undertake. Yet, to their dismay, their babies wander far and wide, crossing un-known territories and ending up in the Buff Orpington run. They especially enjoy tea-time, when they just love to chat to Caesar, the cockerel, over tasty pieces of wheat. This interaction is wonderful to witness as the size comparison between the gang is extraordinary.
There has been further success in the next village, as my sister, Izzi and friend, Lara’s hen, Tinkerbell (a spotted Pekin), has hatched five Pekins and one extremely large Buff Orpington cockerel. Buff Orpington’s are one of the only breeds I can sex from an early age, as the males always have black spots on their fluffy buff-coloured heads. Apparently, the inclusion of this particular Orpington egg was a last-minute decision, but there’s a reason for everything as out came this larger-than-life chick.
Eye witness accounts state that he likes to go ‘walk-about’ (like Nullah from the film Australia) beyond the boundaries of his designated area and the safety of Tinkerbell, and like a true cockerel, is fearless of the white cat which lurks around those parts.
I’ve encouraged Izzi to bring the family back to the safety of Chicken Corner, where Tiva (my tabby cat) has been taught that poultry and especially their miniature offspring, are ‘friends and not food’. These lessons have paid off, watching my four adventurous Pekin chicks cross no-man’s land (an enclosure temporarily out of action) where Tiva was sitting slap-bang in the middle. The chicks reached the safety of their mothers’ embrace, quite calmly actually, as Tiva had completely ignored their bold migration.
The potential for new life at Chicken Corner does not end there however, two Orpington hens are currently broody (all Orpington eggs), set to hatch in one and two weeks time. Additionally, three Pekin hens are also set to hatch in two weeks. To keep the peace between my sisters, these hens are sitting on a mixture of Olivia’s Araucanas and Izzi’s Pekin eggs. The little pekins have morphed into pancakes as they attempt to incubate their large clutch of eggs. And yes, G is one of these hens. Her natural maternal talent dominating her competitive edge, hence why the decision was called that she will not attend the Royal Norfolk Show.
Bye chicks x
Written: 9th June 2018
