A dose of sweetness

Really there is nothing more sweet or tender than the time following the birth of a new life. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to really understand that. It seems the same with chickens. The mamas are so busy defending their new babies that they don't take time to relax. I sometimes wonder if the flurry of the few months of new human babies isn't so far off from chickens! This Buff Orpington mama hatched her first clutch just a few days ago and I was fortunate enough to be standing right next to the brooding box when I heard the first peeps. I ran in to get the camera and managed this one single shot of a puffed-out mama and a newborn chick. She ended up hatching all 6 of her clutch within a day's work.