Mother Hens

The ridiculous number of chickens in Snapdragon's garden this year has shown me beyond a doubt that all mother hens are not the same.
Peblo - our black maran - is THE best mother - selfless, caring, protective.  If I give her some food she makes sure that each of her chicks has a piece before eating herself.
She is chief mother hen and shepherds her chicks around beautifully.  Gives cats the evil eye - she is a force to be reckoned with.

The nameless chicken with the surprise chicks is also a great mum - she only has 2 and spends most of her day making sure that they don't get under the feet of the other hens - she pushes them under the run gate into the orchard and then flies over herself.
They spend their day pecking about the undergrowth, 2 tiny yellow fluff-balls, only returning home at dusk.

The light sussex with the large brood is totally different - she eats all her chicks' crumbs before I finish putting it down - she pecks at them, she won't let them into the house, she is not a contented Mum at all.
I don't have a photo as she is in a permanent bad mood and attacks my camera.  Perhaps it is the stress of the large numbers.
However I do have a photo of the chap who caused the chaos
Cock o the walk.

Comments

[Sue Hall]

I guess chickens are just like humans then, not all natural good mothers, just muddle along doing their best (or as I spotted once when I lived in Barrow in Furness - eat the McDonalds Happy Meal before their kids can get at it!!) Lol....

Sue xx

[Pomona]

We had two hens that were so fierce they kept our two terriers out of the garden! The hens used to hang around just outside the back door and if either of the dogs poked a nose outside it was pecked - and these are terriers which will kill rats, rabbits and polecats with impunity!

Pomona x

[blackbird]

I think that it's good to know that humans are no better than chickens and that they are no better than us. I wish that all mothers could be as good and capable as your Peblo.

[Calico Kate]

Handsome fellow, you can tell why they all fell for him!
I think you should name your nameless chook really I do. I am surprised the girls haven't.
CKx