Well I'll be darned!

 I know, I know, your eyes aren't deceiving you, I am posting for a second time this week!  It's been a rarity I'll admit, but I just had to share the news!  We have big little news!

So I believe we've shared the fact that we had several hens brooding on eggs.  We'll they have all hatched!  17 baby chicks running amuck!  Here's a sampling

But that isn't our great little news.  

We've been running an experiment of sorts here on the homestead.  

We have a Bantam Rooster named Eli in our Bantam run.  Bantam chickens are about a third the size of regular chickens.  Seen below with his previous main squeeze Moria; another regular size chicken.  She is no longer with us, unfortunately.

Last year we ended up adding a regular size Black Australorp Hen to the bantam coop because she was being picked on unmercifully by the hens in the regular hen coop.  We named her Ossy because the way she dealt with the bullying was to hide her head in the corner of the run; head down to the ground.  So Ostrich like we named her Ossy.

Well Eli likes Ossy very much!  There were times, while we were in the yard, that we would be privy to how much.  

What happens on the farm, stays on the farm!  Well that is unless it's our farm and I have a blog (smile).

A little over three weeks ago we had one of our Bantam hens (Big Mama) go broody and want to sit on eggs.  I let her sit on two of Ossy's eggs and one other bantam egg just to see if anything had some of it.

Well HE DID IT!  That little fella, a third the size of the love of his life, actually produced two cute little baby chicks with Ossy.  

While these are Ossy's eggs, Big Mama is their mother as far as they, and she, are concerned.  She's Bantam as well, and a very good mother

So there you have it.  It can be done!  Not sure what size they'll be til they're grown, but we do know Love conquers all, and apparently can climb mountains!