Pets and Animals

Hmm. Now Tina's sister, a silvery grey chick, does exactly the same. We've asked around but noooo, it's not common behavior for chickens at all. Only when there are no eggs available, a broody chicken may sit on imaginary eggs. But a broody chicken, with an actual nest that she built herself, and with very real eggs to brood.... Our vet actually teared up laughing, when we asked him if he ever heard before...  

Since we would really like to have baby chicks in a couple of weeks, Gert and I take turns picking up the chicken and put her back on her eggs, after every meal she's had.

And then Tina chick. Our chickens follow me sometimes, when I'm cleaning the stables, filling water buckets etc. Until now, it was always either all of them following me, or none. They always stay together (except for the broody ones). Yesterday though Tina decided to follow me, while the rest stayed behind. To the horse stables, the donkey barn, plants to water, birds to feed, .... Then I stepped through the backdoor and into the kitchen. Tina followed as if it was 'just another day at the office'. I drank a glass of water, then opened the fridge... Owww WHY didn't I have a camera at that moment?! I wish I could show you the SHOCK on Tina's face, looking into the open fridge! I don't know what it was that spooked her, but could have sworn that she thought: "Noooooo!! They're eating chicken tonight!!"

Kk you should write a book about all the escapades you have with your animals, they would make great reading! made me smile!

Present from my kittycat!

Yay, 4 baby chicks are born!

The eggs have hatched in a brooding machine.
Since the grey chicken was still brooding imaginary eggs, we surprised her with the new borns. She's over the moon that she has RL babies now! She didn't know baby chicks are delivered by humans!

She does a good job, except that she doesn't seem to realize that her babies need to eat much more often than she does. She keeps sitting on her nest, glaring with pride, while the babies under her wings are so hungry! So we still help a bit, by picking up the babies every 2 hours or so, and put them in front of food. Sometimes Mom Chick will come too and then she actually hands out tiny bits of food to the babies (so cute!). But most of the times Mom Chick thinks "No thank you, I'm not hungry. And something still tells me I should stay put on this nest all the time." Maybe she's still convinced her imaginary eggs will hatch soon...



and for those who like to see Mom handing out food: m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=-vKZh3Sz9Wo

Awwwww I want one! They are very cute.

Don't they have massive feet for such tiny babies! Mummy chicken looks very proud.

Thanks for sharing

The photos are not spectaculair, but as promised in chat, here's Tina wearing her new jacket. It's called a chicken saddle and protects the back from the chicken against the nasty nails from the rooster.

Well what do you expect with too much rumpy pumpy with a name of Tina say no more!!! Very cute though