Swimming + Sewing + New Chicks = Summer!

Hey friends this is Melissa.  Over the last several weeks things have been very busy on our farm and the Chicken Scratch Poultry Farm.  Thus leading to a quiet blog.  Angie is working like crazy trying to get chicks hatched and shipped out.  On my families grain farm the guys are in full planting and wheat harvesting mode.  That means the girls and I are left to our own, we make trips to see Daddy when we take him lunch or he arrives home right at bedtime.  My sister and niece have also been in Southern Illinois for about a month and a half while her husband is out to sea.  We have been having lots of fun!  Our time has been spent sewing, drinking coffee, and doing a little swimming.  It is soo fun to have her here and while I know she misses her husband terribly, it is nice that we get to have her around while he is away. 

Lunch delivery! 

That's one straight row!

Swimming with my girls!

In the midst of a fun and busy summer a couple of our hens decided that it was time for them to fill a nest with eggs and sit on them.  When I say a couple of hens I mean two, and not only did they both sit on a nest.. it was the same nest.  I had to giggle each time I went to the barn and saw them snuggled up together on it.  I had been counting down to when I thought the chicks would hatch, and that would not have been until next week.  After arriving home from running errands a couple days ago, I went to the barn to check the chicken's water.  It was quite a surprise to see one of the hens with 3 fluffy chicks scurrying around her feet.  The other hen was still sitting on the nest.  Of course I could not resist taking a peek under her to see if we had more chicks hatching.  She was snuggling an already hatched chick and a couple on their way.  The hens ended up with 6 chicks between the two of them. 

Such cute little things!

Our Mama Hens Henny Penny and Olive.

White Lightening is doing his part in the chick raising.  He is on high alert guarding the barn!

Both of the hens are doing a good job of mothering the little fluffs.  I love to hear them communicate with the chicks.  They are ferociously protective, myself and the girls have all been hen pecked.  I was unsure about what to do about having two hens in with the chicks.  At first it seemed that they might not both be cut out for being mothers, so I debated putting the Americana hen out.  I gave it a little more time and she seemed to settle down and start mothering the chicks.  Below is a video of the Mamas and chicks.  If you listen you can hear them "talking" to one another.  So neat!  Stay tuned for more pictures and updates as they grow. 

Have you ever had two hens share chicks?  If you have leave a comment and tell me what to expect!

God Bless
Melissa