New Chicks: 3 Day Update

Well, it has been three days since we stuffed three chicks under our broody hen. So far I’d say this experiment is working out beautifully.

While most people would frown upon experimenting with live animals, we both were pretty confident that Kendra would take to the new chicks. Why we were confident is beyond me. It must be from the sheer fact that she has refused to give up hatching out some babies, and also the fact that her breed is proven to be one of, if not the best parents in the chicken world. This would also apply to Dominique cocks too, who, if we still had Xander, would be right there with the chicks helping Kendra out. Of course, if we still had Xander, we wouldn’t have had to go buy chicks. I miss Xander… I do not miss his crowing.

So while I was inspecting their cage for piles of poop that needed to be removed, I noticed the chicks all scattered about being chicks: Exploring; eating; drinking; attacking straw; trying to steady themselves. I fortunately had the foresight to bring the camera this time and quickly snapped a few pictures before the other chickens caught on to what I was doing. I managed to get a few close-ups of the babies, including one of White Witch Willow (Willow for short) being taught how to eat by Kendra. Alternate Universe Cordelia (Cordelia for short), however, thought I was giving them treats or something and wanted in on the attention and as soon as she plopped herself in between me and the brooder cage, all the chicks ran behind Kendra and she fluffed out to protect them. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of that, for I was busy shooing Cordy out of the henhouse and instead locked up the cage.

I still had to change out the water and add more food to the feeder and figured I’d wait until my partner got home from the post office so he could check in on them while I attended to the refills. Of course, Cordelia was in his business too, curious as always for new gossip to spread and completely unconcerned for the welfare of anyone but herself. Hmmm… I think she was named appropriately.

As it stands now, the three new additions to our seemingly ever-expanding chicken addiction are doing splendidly. Of course, with these chicks being raised by a hen instead of by us they’ll probably be considered “wild chickens” and won’t take to the occasionally petting the other girls enjoy. Then again, we don’t have to constantly attend to their every need and deal with the insane amount of dust they’d fill our garage with, and in my book, that is well worth the effort to let these chickens be chickens.