[Spana]

On Tuesday evening I went out to shut the hens up for the night, it was about 9.30, quiet, warm and still. I stood for a while and thought I could hear chicks cheeping like crazy.

 After a lot of searching I found a wild mallard duck sitting on eggs under a pile of farm gates in one of the barns. Hens had also been laying in her nest and the chicks had hatched before the ducklings. The duck had no interest in the chicklings at all and the poor little things were heading towards dehydration.

 I knew I had a broody who had been sitting for several weeks on an empty nest, so scooped up the chicklings, dunked each beak into water and headed off with them in a bucket plus one unhatched hens egg left in the ducks nest to the broody hen.

 Luckily she was facing backwards so couldn’t really see what was going on. I slipped each chick under her plus the egg. I’ll never forget the look of surprise on her face when she heard the cheeping from underneath her feathers and she started to talk to them straight away.  I was a bit concerned the chicks wouldn’t accept the hen as their mum but needn’t have worried. The little broody has even hatched the last egg.

 Two of the chicks have straddled legs so I’ve tied their legs together and they seem to be getting about fine. They all seem happy as a family and I’m chuffed with the result.

The wild Mallard is still sat on the nest under the pile of gates and can now get on with hatching  her own ducklings.   :happy:



The chick at the front is one with its legs tied and is standing quite well.   

[Sparkyrog]

sweet love a happy ending 

[snowdrops]

What lucky chicklings they were that you heard them.

[Springlands]

Oh Spana - that is a lovely story. 

[arugula]

Lovely, Spana. I'm not surprised you're pleased with that outcome.

[themagicaltoad1]

That's a really lovely story, lucky for them you found them and the broody accepted them.

[ANHBUC]

That is a lovely story with a happy ending.   

Do you know whose chicks they are?

[Spana]

I love it when a plan comes together

No idea ANHBUC, looking at them they look to be from 2 maybe 3 different hens but its impossible to tell out of over 50, all free ranging. 

The two with tied up legs are doing so well now that its hard to tell them apart from the others without seeing the string.

[BobE]

How wonderful.

[ANHBUC]

I love it when a plan comes together

No idea ANHBUC, looking at them they look to be from 2 maybe 3 different hens but its impossible to tell out of over 50, all free ranging. 

The two with tied up legs are doing so well now that its hard to tell them apart from the others without seeing the string.

It sounds like my little bunch of Heinz 57 mainly because of not knowing "who's the Daddy"!.  I love waiting to see what feather colouring they get.  I have 9 Welsummer bantam crosses and 1 Partridge Wyandotte cross that are just starting to feather up.

I find that the leg hobble works really quickly so you should be able to take it off soon.     How many chicks are there Spana?  Keep the photos of their progress coming.   

[Spana]

 How many chicks are there Spana?   

Seven and the duck had ten eggs of her own so she did well to cover them. 

[ANHBUC]

   When are the ducklings due to hatch then?

[Spana]

Well chicks take 21 days and ducklings 28 so a week after the chicks hatched. Should be next Monday- Tuesday.

[ANHBUC]

They might arrive earlier as my bantam eggs have been taking over the 21 days lately!     I look forward to the update.

[JaK]

Lovely storey, the broody hen has beautiful markings. Of course the chicks are gorgeous too.