They might be waiting for a bus...who knows what goes on in chicken land. I didn't like to ask. Summer brings a new batch of baby chicks and a very protective mother. She's probably the only hen we've had that didn't lose the majority of her chicks to the Butcher Birds. They're dynamite on defenceless chicks. I wish I could prevent this cruel theft but nature is a hell of a lot smarter and faster than I am. One of our more mature age hens called Doris sat on eggs for weeks and weeks waiting for them to hatch. She sat there through some of our hottest days, wildest gales and a thunderstorm. And unfortunately was only able to hatch one chick. She came out so proud. But by the afternoon she was childless and beside herself. I felt so sorry for her. She was screeching blue murder when I went to see here with feathers all up while going around in circles. I gave her some rind off the Christmas ham to cheer her up but pork fat didn't suffice on this occasion. People often curse cats for their destruction on wildlife, but nothing measures up to the cruelty of wildlife itself. We've got Quolls here who remove heads from chicks and leave the rest, like some sort of delicacy. And to make matters worse Quolls are a protected species. They'll be furry mittens if I ever catch them! No wonder my chickens are looking to hit the highway.
The poor hens
ReplyDelete