There’s nothing like a new life to add joy to the world and at our place it’s eight new lives that have bought untold pleasure to my wife and I.

Mrs Hen with her offspring. Photo Wayne Martin.

Readers will remember the story of our recalcitrant chicken who we initially thought was intent on seeing if the grass was greener on the far side of the hill.

We then discovered her disappearances had nothing to do with a yen for new pastures but they did have something to do with her mothering instinct.

Most of you now know how our attempt to shift her nest and replace her 14 eggs with fertile ones  ended in failure. But we were determined to try again.

This time we watched as our clucky chook made her new nest in the garden close to the house and about 100 metres from the chicken coop.

When she laid 12 eggs we didn’t make the mistake of moving the nest. Instead, when she toddled off for a bite and breather we quickly switched her eggs with fertile eggs making every effort to leave the nest and its surroundings undisturbed. Thankfully, she never noticed a thing.

We then settled down to wait for the big day. It arrived in the middle of filthy weather when the skies opened up a few weeks back.

Nevertheless, this perfect little mother hen kept her eight hatched chickens safely under feather and wing. Since then we have watched them grow and watched mum chase then all around the paddocks keeping them from harm.

Next week the family will vacate the temporary coop we created for them when the chicks were born and at night they will join the other hens in the main coop.

Already the young chicks are starting to grow adult feathers and it won’t be long before we’ll be able to discern the roosters from the hens – not easy for we lay people!

Naturally, any noisy cockerels will be off to a new home but the girls are welcome to join our poultry family!

Now, on another note, I must say thank-you to all those readers who have expressed sadness at the passing of our Airedale, Zinny. I’ve been extremely moved by the many well wishes sent out way.

And I’ve also been delighted at the interest shown by readers in our two-year old pacer, Elsudoku. As requested, I will certainly keep you all in touch with his progress and especially how he goes at the upcoming Auckland workouts.

Finally, our new brood mare Willowbrook couldn’t have settled in any better than she has. She’s absolutely lovely and I can’t wait for this time next year when she should be in foal.

As I said at the start of this column, new life is a reason for joy and heralds the start of new beginnings – we look forward to the events ahead. Catch you all next time!

Brian Neben publishes Rural Living, and during the weekends is an avid lifestyle farmer.