SILKIE CROSSES MAKE THE MOST FANTASTIC BROODIES
These two Silkie crosses have been my best buy at Salisbury market (just £15 for the two of them). I called them Sadie and Sammy. They have proved to be absolute treasures, wasting no time in settling in and laying substantial clutches of eggs; they then went broody simultaneously. I got them some hatching eggs and they sat in adjacent nest boxes. They came out together for food and drink and a quick dust bath and then both got back on their eggs at the same time. Their chicks hatched and they seemed so unified that I put them in a little hutch together to share their brood. I was really quite nervous as to how they would react as usually Mothers become very aggressive once they have their chicks to protect and would not tolerate another Mum’s chicks. However it has worked perfectly and they are sharing motherhood and the chicks with great aplomb. Their synchronicity is staggering. They sleep sitting close up together, sharing their brood who often like to snuggle between their two Mums. Sadie and Sammy dust bathe together and their chicks have quickly learnt everything they need to know for the future, including foraging, preening and dust bathing. This is the first time I have ever had two mothers looking after their chicks together!
