Chicken Babies Left Behind, Part 2

We’re going to have a bunch of baby chickens around here I’m thinking!  We have several hens sitting on eggs.  There are two or three hens with nests under outbuildings and who knows where else. 

Then there were a couple of hens out in the sheep shed. One hen has been going about with her chicks for about a week now and just goes back to the nest at night.  The other hen has had at least one or two chicks under her for days.  I’d about decided I was going to get her off the nest today just to see what was under there.

Guess she decided on her own it was time, because I saw her in front of the sheep shed scratching around in the dirt with a couple of chicks.

I heard more cheeping, however, so went to look in the nest.  Sure enough, there were some chicks left behind.  Once again I scooped them up and put them close to the mama hen.  It didn’t take the chicks long to know to follow along after mama.

She checked out the chicks, and the chicks checked out her.

But there was still one little chick left behind in the nest, too newly hatched to get out and about with the others.  I couldn’t leave it there to die, so that one I scooped up and carried around until I finished my chores.

I had to find a box to make into a brooder for the little thing.  While I was working, I used clothespins to make a pouch in my shirt and carried him (her?) around.  Then I put the little thing into the box. . .

When I’ve only got one or two chicks, I always put a soft, plush, stuffed animal in with them.  The teddy bear works well because I can prop it up with its “arms” and legs.

Now the little chick can stay nice and warm.  Cute little thing! 

And how are the first batch of chicks doing?  See for yourself. . .

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No doubt we’ll end up with WAY too many roosters among these chicks, but that’s the way it goes!