The Story of Another Baby

This Phoenix mama decided to be another sneaky hen... this isn't a good time of year for having little ones in the chicken pens. As happy as we always are for the blessings of new life and new friends, we were concerned. This hen, while very sweet, is also not experienced in seeing chicks all the way through to adulthood. We typically end up finding them, like Tiny, separate. But she was so devoted and determined, we tried to make it work.

Here she is in the back corner of the barn with her little one.

She was very protective, and didn't want me to see the chick, let alone touch it.

Things were going along well, until the other night, a little over a week in, when I was in the Brahma pen next door and heard a splash. I looked over to see the baby had fallen into a water play bucket for the older chickens, and ran out to the other en to help.  Bailey grabbed me a towel, and little one helped me do chores.

THe mama attacked me as I pulled the baby from the water. Then, as I had the baby in my arms and helped Wyat with some eggs the mama had been hiding with the other sneaky mama hen, the mama of this baby came back.  I got baby dry, and really didn't know what to do.

Shadow weighed in on the decision. The kids and I felt that since the mama didn't have any eggs to neglect the baby for, maybe we should try her back in there. So the baby went out, and a very relieved mama took back over.

The following morning, baby was back to antics, running in and out of every spot she could find where the other chickens had dug. She found a way at a corner in and out of the pen. Wyatt and Shadow and the geese ran off some hawks, but couldn't catch the baby again to bring her inside.

By the next morning, we couldn't find the baby. It is always hard to lose one of the flock or herd.  And such a cute little one, too. We can't second guess what we thought was the best choice, but we might make a different one next time. Have you ever had one disappear like that?  By that last picture, I think Shadow was ready to cuddle another little one like her buddy Tiny!