Wednesday 5 September 2012

Flying the nest!



Earlier this summer my White Hen (actually named Madame Pompadour), went broody. I decided to let her sit but had nearly given up hope, when one morning I heard faint peeping sounds coming from beneath her large feathery bottom and..


This is what I found!


There were still more brown eggs waiting



But we decided to move them and the Mother to a smaller pen to in order keep them safe


Our cat Mali was a most interested spectator!


After two more days another chick arrived-



And that completed the family!
As both the chicks are charcoal grey we think that the true Mother was actually Big Black Hen but Madame loves her babies and protects them ferociously!
They are growing rapidly and last weekend we moved the family back into the main hen area, just shutting them away in the smaller pen at nights.
Last night however, I was a little late going to catch and put them to bed. Now you remember I have told of my hens' unusual habit of roosting in our apple tree ( whatever the weather) ?


Well, Madame has taught her chicks the family skill...


'Duck is on the leaft up-side-down and Grouse is safely tucked in


It was the most charming and funny sight I have seen in a long time- How on earth they managed to hop, flap and scramble up there I don't know-



But this morning they were back down in the run safe and sound and loudly demanding their breakfast!
We have had many fine nests of beautiful eggs before-




But their contents have never given us such pleasure!

18 comments:

  1. Hello Jane:
    This is totally amazing. And, like you, we really do wonder how they all managed to climb into the tree without mishap. But so good to know that all is safe and well.

    In our Herefordshire days we also kept hens and can even now recall the thrill of watching the chicks hatching out. So very wonderful.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance- I wish I'd actually seen them hatch- I had been checking to see but missed the great exodus! Jane xx

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  2. I love this! The idea of naming a white Hen Madame Pompadour is enchanting. Her and her children in the tree really are so charming tucked under her protective wings. I love listening to the little vocals of Hens, each with their own personality. We do not have any in our new village and we miss them pecking about in gardens and gossiping.

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    1. Hello Mrs Black- I just love the sound of contented hens- if ever I'm feeling sad I pop down to see them and they always make me smile- Jane xx

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  3. Hello Jane

    The image of the mother and babies tucked under her wings is so heart warming and beautiful. I am laughing and teary at the simplicity and love of this little family. Your heart must be singing with joy. We had hens in Ireland and I loved seeing new born chickens.
    During my school days in Dublin, I travelled home each evening to our country farm and often on the bus were boxes of "day old chicks" on route to farms from a hatchery and the chirping was always music to my ears.

    Helen xx

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    1. Hello Helen, You have just described how I feel, everytime I think of that dear, scruffy hen with her wings around those funny little chicks I melt! Jane xx

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  4. Oh, this post is so heartwarming and sweet Jane. It just starts the day out with a warm feeling. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Hello Diane- I keep sneaking down to the apple tree in the evening to take another look- they are so, so sweet! Jane xx

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  5. I can't imagine how those chicks got up into your apple tree, but they make for some interesting photos!

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  6. Jane, it took me 7 tries to get my last comment posted. Please! Remove the word verification! Jim

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    1. Thanks Jim, I'm glad you like the photos and I hope I sorted the other problem... Jane xx

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  7. Hi Jane! Where's my long comment gone? I posted it yesterday and it's not here!

    I love your mother hen! She's so cute, so sweet and beautiful!

    Have a nice evening.

    PS: My previous comment was about my vegan friend's hens... they are sweet, and one of them sometimes roosts on the tree of a neighbour!

    Enjoy the evening.

    ANNA

    xxx

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Hi Anna, we are both having trouble... my reply to you was so full of spelling mistakes, I had to remove it! I wonder what happened to yours- I certainly didn't delete it!
      All our terrace love the Mother hen and people keep popping down to look at her and the chicks every evening-
      Have a very happy weekend,
      Jane
      xxx

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  8. Those lovely pictures have made us all smile. My cousins hens in the New Forest used to roost in her apple trees. We would love to keep hens but have a bad fox problem around here. Hope you are enjoying the late summer sun. Karen x

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    1. Hi Karen- perhaps it's a special breed of hens from this area?! Jane xx

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  9. Perhaps hen houses should be tree houses to keep them safe from foxes. Your pictures made me smile this morning.

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    1. Hi Lucille,
      I like the idea of hen tree houses- they look so chilly up there in the winter! Jane xx

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