First d'Uccle chicks of the year

This years first set of D'Uccle chicks have hatched. 4 of them to be exact! Mama took her kids out of the nest and went out to play, leaving the last 6 eggs there. I guess she was done being broody and that was just it for her. Lol After a few hours when I was sure she wasn't going back....I took the remaining eggs and candled them. They were all fine and close to hatching, so I put them in the incubator.

Broody hens are funny. Sometimes they are ready to be done and other times they continue to sit even after the chicks hatch. I even had one hen steal eggs to replace the ones that hatched! This one though was ready to be done sitting and she rushed those chicks out into the sunlight to play. She's a good mama, showing the chicks where their food is and scaring the other chickens away from them. She watched as I changed the fence around to exclude the pond....letting them run under her wings and back out again and again.This one is a good mama, she raises at least 1 clutch a year sometimes 2.

I moved the D'uccles into the duck pen a few weeks back when we sold the ducks. Today I moved the fence and I'm hoping to put some plants and fish in the pond. Not sure how that's going to go with the local frogs though. They think its their pond! Lol

I moved the fence so the D'uccles wouldn't fall in the pond but now the Marans can reach the pond. Not sure how its all going to work out. I'm hoping they just stay away. I'll keep you posted!

~L