Nugget success!

[gunhilda]

We have four nuggets who are being mothered by a very protective Harriet!  Harriet is very attentive, and when a nugget strays too far from her, she clucks the little chick back to her. She gets particularly alarmed when one strays out of her immediate line of vision, and she cranes her neck to keep an eye on it. Apparently, that mothering instinct

Comments

[rhiannonredwulf]

Yea! I am so glad that Harriet is making the adjustment.

[gunhilda]

Yeah, she's doing great. It is very amusing watching the little nuggets hop all over her. She almost purrs with pleasure.

[rhiannonredwulf]

You are such good people.

My first thought was-- cranky hen who is not laying and keeping the other hens from laying-- Sunday dinner!

Well, and how clever to get chicks of some breed that you would want. :-)

[gunhilda]

I suspect that none of our hens will wind up as our dinners. Hawk dinners, yes...

[sdani]

I've actually been checking in LJ more frequently to see if you'd updated on the Nugget Saga. Glad to hear that it seems to be working!

[gunhilda]

Nuggets and mom are doing great! They are eating, and eating, and eating.... Harriet is a hoot to watch as the nuggets climb all over her. She's very patient with them.

[sunkrux]

YAY! XD

[gunhilda]

Yay indeed!

[ziparumpazoo]

Excellent!
I'm curious if her need to mother would only have been satisfied by the Nuggets, or would any baby animal have fit the bill? Not that you *need* any more kittens (for example) running around.

[gunhilda]

That's an interesting question. I don't know. She seems to have taken to the nuggets pretty quickly, though.

[rhiannonredwulf]

It is an interesting question. I was sitting here wondering if after a day or two Tegan would take over mothering if given a nugget. Her mother certainly took over a litter of orphaned kittens.

[gunhilda]

She might just think they were fun squeeky toys. :) But, yeah, she might. That mothering instinct kicks in at the oddest times and places, like the lioness who raised the baby deer.

[elynross]

Oh, awesome!

[gunhilda]

Indeed. You must come out to see them before they're too old to be eaten by hawks.

[elynross]

Oh, I should!

And I misspoke, about Lily: she is larger/heavier than Addison&Jessie, but they're around 8 lbs, and she's 10 lbs. Then Rufus and Max at 12. She's gotten taller and lankier, but still a sweetheart.

[gunhilda]

She's gotten taller? Wow! So, she was very young and is still growing?