Watch Speckle and Her Chicks on Briden Farm TV
Our Hen, Speckle, is hatching her chicks and this video shows 4 of the wee little ones!
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Category: Hatching Eggs and Baby Chicks
Very Happy To Report Hop-A-Long Has A New Home
We raised Hop-A-Long, with another chick known as Precious, they both come from a person in the Annapolis Valley who sold us a bunch of Aracana Chicks. She was selling them as “Pure Aracana” although we knew they were actually mixed breed Easter Eggers. What we didn’t know was they, or more likely their parents didn’t get the proper nutrition and a number of the Chicks ended up becoming crippled because of it. Anyway, when most people would have tossed them, we raised them. Also, along with them we raised a little chick who come to us after being literally rescued from becoming Snake food! We call that little Chick, now the large white one in the video, we call her Boots! So, the three in the video grew up together. We’ll be keeping Precious and Boots, and we’re now Very Happy To Report Hop-A-Long Has A New Home…
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Jack Passes The Torch To The Next Generation
I cried as I carried my Boy, Jack to his final resting place earlier this week. You see, we got Jack and his siblings last September when they were just a couple weeks old, and one day when I stuck my hand in the Brooder cage to feed them, Jack jumped up on my arm and said, “This is my forever home Dad!” He quickly became my favourite and he remained very calm, loving, and easy to handle for a Rooster! He also did a good job with the Ladies!
So, when Jack died a few days ago, after getting into something, we suspect, it was with heavy heart that I entombed him.
While they can never replace Jack…
Thankfully, Jack was good with the Ladies!
About a month before Jack’s passing, the Ole Grey Hen went broody and hatched 5 Chicks, and the week before Jack died our hen, Whitie also hatched 5 Chicks. That means that there are at least 10 little offspring from Jack.
Although, we’re also pretty sure that at least one of the Chicks we hatched from the incubator in February is one of Jack’s also. He’s a young Rooster, now 4 months old, who has puffy Easter Egger Cheeks, thus meaning his Momma was Little Crow, our pure Aracauna Hen, and we highly suspect Jack to be His Father, thus we’re dubbing him Little Jack, son of Little Crow and Jack.
In addition to that, our hen, the one we call Speckle, and one of Jack’s sisters, started to set yesterday and we now have 11 eggs, maybe soon to be 12 eggs under Her. The chicks that hatch will also be Jack’s! Which means that even after Jack’s passing, Jack Passes The Torch To The Next Generation!
This may seem surprising to some, but once mated the Hen carries fertilized eggs inside her for a number of weeks! The most viable of those eggs for hatching purposes are those from within a week of mating. Since we already know Jack to be quite prolific, and the eggs under Speckle are gathered from a number of our hens, we expect these eggs are viable and that Jack’s contribution to the Farm lives on… even after his crossing the Rainbow Bridge!
A Broody Hen at Briden Farm
One of the nice things about Spring is that it’s the time of birth, and rebirth. It gives us hope! Hope for those who are born, hope for the future, and hope for rebirth after that!
Perhaps that’s why when we see the first Spring Robin, or a Butterfly, or a Broody Hen sitting on a clutch of Eggs on Her Nest. During the 3 Weeks the Hen sits on her nest, she undergoes a real transformation! Then, when her eggs hatch, and She emerges from her place of refuge and brings new life with Her! It might not be a complete Resurrection, but anyone who has witnessed the miracle of birth, or rebirth, knows it really is a miracle!
Our “Old Grey Hen”, pictured above is doing just that! We soon hope to bring You photos of Her little ball of joy as the Chicks emerge and find their place in their brand new World! Here at Briden Farm!