Not The Mamma!

So I've got four different sets of chicks at different ages. One pair of (supposedly) chocolate-colored egg layers (age 10 weeks), four six weekers, seven almost two weekers, and two 2-day olders. It's peepville out in the coop, I tell ya! This is one of the almost two weekers I brought in to clean off a poopy butt. Yes folks, that's right, sometimes we clean poopy chicken bums. This is also one of the ones I found left out last week almost dead. I thought she was dead anyway; but I warmed her back to life and stuck her back out with mom. I was so thankful. The week before my angora doe had a litter of 5 kits, and I lost them all. I was so discouraged, even though I know that is always a possibility. My guess is that this was her first litter. She tried to do the things that mamma bunnies do but just seemed to figure it out too late. It was sad, oh yes, but we will try again. So I was glad to save this peep.

Anyway, as you can see from little miss peep above, she was darn sure I wasn't her mamma, and she sure let me know. She's one of my favorites of that bunch of seven with her little tufted feet (I think she'll be of the silkie variety). And I of course say "she" hoping that I get a good number of hens from this bunch. I've already got two roosters who need some more hens. The reality of the situation, however, is that probability sides on fifty-fifty. So some of those are bound to be roosters.

I do have to say, I'm pretty proud of my mother hens, especially my silkie, Delilah. They both seem to be taking good care of their little ones. Unfortunately this broodiness appears to be quite contagious as Charlotte, my buff orphington (?) is now sitting on a clutch. Oh me, oh my? This of course means that each of the three favorite nest boxes are otherwise occupied, and three of my seven laying hens are 'mothering' (which means less eggs). And my black bantie, Minerva, well she's hiding her eggs somewhere other than the coop. Already hens are trying to cram into the all time favorite of box (see below).

Fanny's on top of Charlotte's head, and Bertie, as you can see, has crammed herself in there too. It's quite a scene. I must tell you that there are six other nest boxes in that coop. That must be some box!