Miss Phoebe and Her Babies

Phoebe's chicks hatched this past weekend. I think she looks pretty good considering she has been sitting for five weeks, only leaving the nest once a day for a few minutes to eat, drink and poo. It only takes 21 days for a chick to develop and hatch, but she sat on a golf ball for 2 weeks while we waited for shipped eggs to arrive. I got more Welsummers since the last hatch gave us all girls, and some Black Copper Marans that lay the chocolate colored egg. I put eight of these under our broody plus two of her sisters eggs (she stops laying after full broodiness kicks in) and set the rest in the incubator. She hatched seven and only four in the bator hatched. Her chicks were more active and dried off more quickly. I kept the bator hatched chicks in an inside brooder until they perked up and dried off, then put them under Phoebe's wing. She adopted them immediately after giving me a curious look.

Above is a group shot of Mama and all eleven chicks. They are under her body and wings to stay warm.

She has been busy teaching them to scratch for bugs.

Such a good mama!