Nature will find a way

[mogal]

I've been laid up about 10 days now with a foot injury and DH, bless him, is taking care of me and all the animals.  Yesterday, he came back from feeding everybody and told me there was a hen with 2 baby chicks hanging around one of the 2 grow out pens he built for me.  Well, with binoculars in hand, I looked out and my hen had not 2 but three little chicks with her.  Now this was outside the coop.  I have no idea when she escaped but she managed to go broody and hatch these babies just out in the yard.  One of our cats has shown an unhealthy interest in the chicks in the grow pens so I'm amazed he hasn't tried to get the chicks.  Knowing mama hens, maybe he was taught a lesson early on.  We've had some heavy rains in the previous 21 days--this mama has done an excellent job with these babies.

We have a free-ranging rooster outside the coop who has some water and a little scratch grain.  I don't know if the Mama Hen was using those but I asked DH to be very sure they were available for her and her little family.  SO CUTE.

[mogal]

DH came in Monday to report that our youngest cat, a kitten brought by his mother from our neighbor's house when she weaned him, had shown an interest in the chicks. They are now about 6-7" tall, still staying very close to the hen. DH had a plastic bucket in his hand and was preparing to throw it at the cat when MAMA let him know in no uncertain terms that he was to back off. I doubt that rotten little cat will bother a chick again. Yea, Mama Hen.