Peggy Sue earns her keep
When I went out to do the morning chores today, I found Peggy Sue sitting tight on a pair of eggs. She’s our sole Scots Grey bantam, kept to hatch and raise chicks, and was obviously keen to get to work. Once I’d done the chores, taken the Wee ‘Un to nursery and done a few other jobs, I pulled out the broody box, cleaned and disinfected it, and left it to dry before making a nest up with fresh straw.
Peggy Sue was then moved in to the broody box with six eggs from Orville’s flock, but she quickly decided that one was no good and rolled it out the door. Five left to go.
Scots Greys aren’t usually known for staying the course as broodies, but Peggy Sue is now on her fourth clutch of eggs and has proved to be an excellent broodie. She’s also an excellent mother hen and very protective—most notably having faced down and chased off our neighbourhood goshawk last year. It was especially funny as “her” chicks were full-size Scots Greys and already twice her size. The goshawk thought them easy pickings until tiny Peggy Sue came charging to the rescue, clobbering the raptor with beak and wings until it fled. As for Orville and the other large Scots Grey hens, they all hid in the chicken hut and cackled madly for hours.
Go Peggy Sue, size is irrelevant to mothering skills. Hope you get some good chicks. I’m hoping one of our hens will go broody soon.
Bantams are such characters. I had one in the UK that was always going broody and was a wonderful mum too. None of my wyandottes is showing the slightest signs of going broody so I may have to find a bantam or two
I’m gaining enough confidence with growing food (vegetables and berries, with our first fruit trees now in) that getting chickens is my vision for this summer. You definitely inspire me. Here in Portland Oregon we’re allowed three hens (no rooster). Got to convince my husband on this first, a self-described city boy.
What a good girl, Peggy Sue . ALl but one of my ex-batts are fiercely independent, and have had any inkling of mothering instinct bred out of them, so I don’t think I’d ever have any success. Plus, I don’t think they could withstand the lusty attention of a cockerel. Good luck with it all.