Photo by Audrey Pavia
Baby Jo has taken to mothering my other hen ’s chick .
My three chicksare 1 calendar month old now , and they are out and about in the yard with the residue of the flock . They last out tight to their mom most of the clock time . The rest of the time , they are with their auntie , Baby Jo .
Or is she their baby ? Baby Jo was the product of one of the Jos ’ , two sis hens who look exactly alike . I distrust Baby Jo ’s momma is the one that hatched the three chicks , because Baby Jo takes forethought of them like they are her own .
I first noticed this behavior the other day , when the skirt were out walking around the backyard with mom . Baby Jo was walking right along with them , call the chick to her when she ’d chance something good toeat . Whenever I spy mom and chicks , Baby Jo was right there with them . Meanwhile , the other hen , baby to mom , could n’t handle less . And , of course , theroosterswere unmindful .
Just having become an aunt myself for the first time in 20 long time , I totally sympathize Baby Jo ’s behavior . Even though she might technically be a prominent sister , her behaviour is that of an aunt . She wants to be close to the chicks whenever she can , and she wants to give care - take and rear them . She know they are n’t hers , but yet she lends herself to them as a second mom . She is always in law of proximity , always looking out for them . She is part of their family .
Yet despite all this closeness , Baby Jo seems to lie with she is just an aunt and not mom . When the sun goes down and all the chickens make their way to the coop , she flow back . When momma hen finds her place on the roosting perch and spreads her wings so her babies can huddle underneath , Baby Jo goes off by herself . The last few nights , she has taken to rest in the extracoopI keep nearby foremergencies . She seems to know not to encroach on Mom ’s turf at bedtime , when baby and Mom solidify their bond by snuggling together for prophylactic , companionship and warmth .
I keep think about Baby Jo ’s late pick to kip outside the main henhouse . She has been sleeping in the main chicken coop for her entire life , but the closemouthed relationship that developed between her and the chicks is coinciding with her find out a place outside the coop to rest at night . It ’s untrusting .
The enticement to anthropomorphize is cracking . Is she putting herself away from the muckle because she is deplorable that she ca n’t log Z’s with the baby ? So she render to get as far away from them as she can ? Or is she smell out a territorial attitude from mommy , and so chooses to put herself out of internet site so as not to prove mom ’s ira ? .
I have no idea . All I know is that I felt badly for her tonight , and put her back in the main cage . It ’s not only safer there , but it ’s where she belong — with her extended family .
Read more of City Stock »
