Drama at the Palace

Cluckingham Palace that is.  Bantam chickens are known for being good mamas. I was not surprised, when a few days home from ICU, one of our Mottled Cochin Bantams parked herself in a nest box and wouldn't budge- broody.  Okay, no problem.  Next thing we know, her twin decided to brood some eggs herself in the next box just below. Okay, no problem.   Andalusian Chickens are not known for that broody characteristic.  So imagine our surprise, with only a week left till hatch, Delilah Blue decides to oust our sweet little Cochin off her nest and takes over.  Rude.  What's a girl to do?  Little Loretta Hen gets in the nest box her twin is in. Umm, girls, do you plan to co-parent, split the custody, what? 
More surprising still is after a few days the Snow Queen, also an Andalusian, gets in the nest box with Delilah.  Hmm.  So I thought this week I should be hearing some peepers. Well, before ever we heard the first peep, Handy Man finds the Snow Queen sporting a tiniest bit in the chicken yard. 
Girl, do have any idea what you are doing?  She does not.
I have never had a Mama get a tiny one out so early. She kept running back in the coop, sans her baby, which isn't really her baby, as she was the last one on nest. Brazen, this chick.

 Look at that littlest bit. It just never gets old.

So, I'm like, what's happening with Delilah? Apparently she has no earthly idea what to do with this baby and just keeps brooding the eggs under her.

So next thing we know, this baby manages to get out of the nest, so now the obvious Queen Bee has two babies.  Which she proceeds to leave on the ground and get back in the box with Delilah. Dumb chicken.  I have no idea how this little soap opera will work out, but if she leaves those babies on the ground again, they'll be in a box with a light. Even as warm as it is, it isn't warm enough at dark for tiny chicks.

And the solid black Cochin is also broody. Wonder who will end up joining her?  

Well, at least Snow Queen put in a few days of brooding. I remember when Yellow Chick Awesome waited till another chicken hatched three littles and she just flat out stole that poor chicken's babies and raised them. Pecking order is a very real thing. 

Handy Man has been a big help getting my classroom and school garden ready. I hope I can keep the plants I have alive through this terrible heat. Gardner ML came today and helped all day long. What a blessing!

Monday is our low level stress test and the following Monday cardiac rehab begins.