Brahma Babes!!

Day two and a very special day as we can now confirm that there are 4 very beautiful and cute Brahma Babes...

Carpet has been the model mother and didn't let them leave her side.

Their first lesson in eating chick crumb

Next a trip outside, there first time in the open air and to feel the warmth of the sunshine

With the chance for a quick cuddle

Finished off with a few live treats - a very special day indeed

One, two, three, four at least

The Brahma bonanza!!

What a treat we had today - first there was one...

Both mum and chicks were hungry - breadcrumb and porridge, with parsley was on the menu - irresistible - number two appeared.

Number three soon appeared, slinking in from the back.

Just for a moment another two peeped out, so we know that there are four for sure. With the growth they have shown in just 24 hours we will probably know for certain in couple of days as it will be impossible for our little bantam, Carpet to brood them all at once!! Will there be a full house - six???

Birthday Best - the Brahma chicks

They've hatched - we gained just a glimpse...

Birthday Brahmas

When we took in 4 bantams in need of a home over 2 years ago, we never thought that they would bring us so much pleasure, they are adorable and a welcome addition to any flock. They have a lovely temperament, very content and their miniature size makes them perfect for a cuddle!!

However any body who has ever kept bantams will know that another trait is their tendency to go broody, which when in a larger flock of chickens can mean that unfortunately they get picked on, by drawing attention to themselves with constant clucking. On many previous occasions we isolate these birds to 'break' them of their broodiness - which always feels very unkind. So after recent positive experiences of hatching out eggs we decided to capitalise on our broody bantams and hatch out a new breed of chicken for our flock - the Brahma.

We locally sourced fertile eggs and now Carpet our previously successful mum is incubating 6.

Known at the teddy bears of the backyard, the Brahma chicken is one of the most docile and friendliest breeds that you can get in the UK.

As we have seen previously Carpet is certainly a natural mum and is certainly dedicated and barely leaving the nest over the 20 days so far.

However also known as the King of chickens, the Brahma is also one of the largest breeds in the UK

With the cockerels standing at over 2.5 feet tall. With Carpet at less than 0.5 feet, she may be a little shocked when her chicks start to grow!!

The eggs are sitting pretty and due to hatch in a couple of days time on Melv's birthday

After the dedication Carpet has shown over the 21 days we have got our fingers crossed that the 6 are going to hatch. In just a few days time we will know and will follow with interest and intrigue to see how little and large of the chicken world, both with adorable temperaments live together!!!

All in together girls

The pecking order now pretty much established the 3 mums, were all out and about with their chicks today - it was lovely to see them giving lessons in feeding and drinking in between plenty of on the spot brooding. 

Just like I was reassured by an article on the internet - they all soon started to share the brooding.

'Happy families'

One for each broody bantam

It has been an exciting and eventful day on the hatching front. It started when one of our new additions began to find its feet and started to explore - now called Mr Benn, after the children's adventurer from the '70's.

Just time for a quick cuddle before mum gets worried

One by one they started to appear...

By lunchtime, two of the 3 broody bantams eggs had successfully hatched out 3 out of the 4 eggs.

Unfortunately the middle hen had not been so lucky, but we still have our fingers crossed that they will!

Lessons in how to feed were soon to follow

It soon became a family affair, heads down for a full house...

By the end of the day, after a few rather alarming spats and tussles to establish the pecking order, they all had a chick each and settled down for the night!

A Happy Easter Indeed

More specifically a Happy Hatching Easter!!

The first glimpse of a day old chick...

Later in the day we were treated to a second view, this time for a little longer and we are almost 100% sure that it was another little youngster.

Not out in the open for long, the young chick was encourage back under the safety of mum's warm body

Both these little 'uns were under the same mother, the other two mums sat tight, but were regularly making contact calls, so we believe they too have hatched at least 1 of their eggs.

Hopefully tomorrow all will be revealed, we will keep you posted...

Very Special Easter Eggs

Never has Good Friday been so special, as these beautiful blue eggs are about to do something rather amazing...

They are Cream Legbar eggs and they are about to hatch - and Good Friday is the day!!

Three of our young bantams all went broody together, 2 were getting bullied, so to enable them to satisfy their natural urges and keep them safe - we thought - 'Why not...'

Knowing the really placid temperament of Cream Legbar hens, with our very own Dennis (named after Dennis Waterman from 'Minder' for looking after the bantams!) - already part of our existing flock we collected some local eggs - from a farm just 10 miles away. 

Eggs in the nests at the ready and that is all it took...

In seconds the eggs were safely underneath - a natural 

and there they have stayed

Now 21 days later, we wait expectantly, to see our little bantams be not so steadfast and of course for a first glimpse of a new life - the small head of a chick to appear from underneath.