New day, new life...

 It is a perfect summer day in Maine. A cool, clear morning, with the promise of warming as the sun climbs. 

I started my day as I always do, by letting the dogs out. Then I dish up a plate of food for the barn cats. The cats get fed, then I scoop up some chicken food and turn the hose on. In the hen yard, I wash and fill the water tub, put the scoop of food out, and rinse the duck pool. While the pool fills I let the birds out of the coop. If I'm lucky I have a few minutes to observe what happens next. The ducks rush headlong for the hose in the pool, drinking deeply, trying to catch some spray on their feathers, and as soon as there is an inch or so of wet they hop in for a joyful splash. The hens eat, then drink, then scatter to the pasture in search of bugs and tasty plants to nibble. 

Next, I head to the wee coop in the back yard where the 4 Silky chickens live. This morning when I did this I noticed two of my layer hens were near the Silky coop. I try to discourage them from being in the backyard. They poop a lot, scratch up my flower bed, and are pushy with the diminutive Silkies. Bravo is smart enough to know that the layer hens don't belong in the backyard, and when he sees them he gleefully chases them back to the pasture or hen yard. So this morning, when I saw those hens where they didn't belong I said, "Bravo, get those chickens." He began to do my bidding, then stopped in his tracks and looked at me, then at the birds, then at me. Puzzled, I followed his gaze. 

At first, I didn't understand why one hen was so puffed up. Then I saw scurrying movement beneath her. 

Chicks! Last year when these White Rock hens went broody things went very badly. They hatched chicks, then one by one pecked them until they were injured or dead. It was a nightmare. So this year, when two of the birds began to think of creating a family, I did everything within my power to discourage them. But meanwhile, two of the ladies had gone missing. There was no evidence of foul play, no piles of feathers left about, so I knew there was a possibility that there were hens nesting somewhere in secret. Since all my birds are the same breed and look alike, it's hard to tell individuals apart, so if a bird that was nesting came out of hiding to eat and drink, I'd never notice. I suspect that the two missing birds were cuddled up together under the Silky coop. They probably co-hatched these four wee chicks. Yesterday when I was doing yard work, I thought I heard chicks peeping, but then I didn't, so I chalked it up to some wild birds and went about my business. 

This hen is all about mothering the babies. She puffs up in a threatening way when a human, dog, or other bird comes near. She is showing them how to find food. I put out a plate of chicken feed, soaked in water and easy for tiny birds to eat. She instantly took them there, clucking in the special way mother birds do. 

The other hen that brooded with her has rejoined the flock, ditching the chicks for freedom and fun. I know human mothers like that, too. 

Our chicken count has increased by 4. Four adorable, wee, peeping chicks. Well done, Mama hen. Well done.