One Christmas, years ago, my dad gave me a pair of button quail (a fully-grown button quail is about the same size as a newly-hatched chicken). My pets (Henry and Henrietta) eventually produced a clutch of eggs and the eggs hatched into teeny little chicks. Unfortunately, mother hen was stressed, didn't keep them warm, and they died before we could rescue them. So Henry and Henrietta tried again. When the second clutch of eggs began to hatch, there was chaos in the aviary. Mother hen and her little chicks ran wildly around the cage until the chicks became cold and lethargic. I quickly took them inside and placed them under my art lamp to warm. When they were active enough to return to Mom, she would not care for them. Ultimately, it was Dad, Henry, who tucked seven little baby chicks underneath his body and kept them warm. He raised them to adulthood plus a few more broods thereafter. You were a great Dad, Henry!
No comments:
Post a Comment