Who doesn’t love stories about babies, especially those that involve overcoming some kind of challenge? I’m a sucker for giving in to my (many) broody hens, allowing them to fulfill their desire to raise the next generation of bitchin’ chickens. It can be a challenge juggling all those hormonal hens and then caring for the burgeoning flock. For all my complaints, I have to concede it’s actually the highlight of my year.
Here are some heartwarming stories about babies and the dedicated mothers who raise them.
This is Oscar, she was born in a garbage can. Totally my fault. I came back from vacation overseas and had three eggs that didn’t hatch while I was gone. For the first time ever, I didn’t investigate the cause and open them up, just put the eggs in the trash. That was Thursday morning, Saturday at 6 am my husband rushed into the bedroom to ask if I trashed any eggs because there is chirping coming from the outside garbage can! I opened a bag and there she was, amongst sour strawberries, wet paper towels and flies. I scooped her out and put her in the incubator. Twelve hours later she is doing great, so hopeful that she makes it as she feels like a really special bird to me. – Unknown
Several months ago about our beloved turkey continued to be broody despite not having any fertile eggs. She cried for a week both times we took her eggs away. We got some day old chicks but she wanted nothing to do with them. A month ago she went broody for the third time this year and we were trying to decide what to do this time around. My daughter went out one day to feed them and heard peeping…somehow, one of the chickens snuck an egg into the pile. Apparently our sweet girl became a mom just how she wanted. We’re a week and a half in and she’s so happy. Just one lonely little chick, but she has a very sweet and helpful momma. Not sure they speak the same language but so far so good! – Kim Barry
We have an 8-year old turkey who will happily sit on just about anything that even remotely resembles an egg. She hasn’t laid any eggs herself in a couple of years, but every single year she still goes broody like clockwork. This year, a broody hen decided to join her in the same nesting box, even though her chicken eggs weren’t fertilized either. Meanwhile, we had a whole bunch of fertilized duck eggs and absolutely no broody ducks willing to sit on them so we figured, why not? We gave the turkey and chicken a clutch of duck eggs to raise together. And guess what? THEY ACTUALLY HATCHED! So now we officially have a turkey and a chicken raising ducklings together. I’m convinced this is where the inspiration for a real-life “Tur-duc-ken” must have come from! – Maira Durani
This may end up being the sweetest little farm story, so of course I had to share it. Three weeks ago, this determined little hen decided she was going to be a mama, marched herself under the hay feeder, and basically said, “This is my spot now,” and she has hardly moved since. Apparently her turkey bestie decided no mama should sit alone, because she keeps coming over to keep her company and will sit with her for hours, sometimes even days. Yesterday, mama hen finally hatched one tiny precious chick. Just one little baby. The rest of the eggs ended up being turkey eggs that sadly weren’t viable, which was a little disappointing, but nature apparently had a different plan.
Since I already had some newly hatched chicks inside, I decided to sneak four of them under mama hen last night to see if she would accept them. And this morning? They were all tucked in together, warm, happy and completely loved like they had been hers all along. The cutest part might be that one of the babies had wandered over and tucked itself right under the turkey and both of them seemed perfectly content with the arrangement. I’m seriously thinking tonight I might slip a few more chicks under “mama turkey” and let her raise a little brood of her own right alongside her sister chicken. This could turn into the cutest co-parenting barnyard story ever. Tiny shared nursery, two devoted mamas, and a whole lot of fluffy baby chaos. – Unknown
Giving baby chicks to mamas doesn’t always go according to plan, especially with new mamas. These two babies went to a new mama who not only rejected them in the morning, she grabbed the baby and left a sore on its back. But I have Trivet, my special girl who is blind in one eye from a hawk attack. Trivet was just starting to go broody, so I put her in with the chicks and crossed my fingers. At first she tried to get out of the brooder, but the chicks began crying from the cold and fear. Trivet is a great little mama and you could see the moment her mama hormones overcame her. She looked over her shoulder at the babies and suddenly ran over to them, gently clucking and encouraging them to scoot under her for warmth.
She spent the day nursing the babies back to health and teaching them to interact with her. When they cried as it got dark, she tented herself out and pushed them underneath. When I left the barn, the babies were chirping happily in their cozy cave, while mama Trivet crooned a goodnight song to them. – Green Gables Farm
Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and photos. Featured photo credit: Hidden Heights Farm
“More drama than a reality show – with better feathers”
Bitchin' Chickens 
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