This spring two chicken sisters, Wincey and Vicky, decided to go broody one after the other. Having broody chickens can be a real pain. They take up the nesting box; stopping the rest from laying, and they don't eat properly, or drink and dust bathe.
Wincey was first to become broody. At first I tried to turf her off the nesting box. But she was having none of it. I told her she was too young; she was one of the chicks we bought at four weeks old last year. But in the end I relented. And gave her six welsummer hatching eggs. This is her story of how she became a mum. Four welsummer chicks were successfully hatched and they're now five weeks old.
Vicky became broody whilst Wincey was sitting on eggs. At first I ignored her, I did think she was only playing at it. But, once the welsummer chicks hatched I got gripped by new-chick-fever and ordered her six lemon pyle brahma hatching eggs off ebay. Only two of these successfully hatched at 19 days of incubation on Tuesday 17th May. They'll be two weeks old tomorrow.
I've got two films to show you. The first film is of the brahmas hatching. The second is a day in the life of all six chicks, recorded over this weekend.
Having chicks with a broody is easy for me. The mother-hen does all the hard work. But it does mean a bit of juggling with the sleeping arrangements.
Seeing the new life emerging from an egg, hearing the cheeping before the egg has even cracked, watching the mum instinctively know what to do, is an amazing experience. I'd definitely do it again. Just need another one to go broody.
Brahma Chicks from Helen || a bookish baker on Vimeo.
A Day in the Life of Six Chicks from Helen || a bookish baker on Vimeo.