The instinct for motherhood that so many animals share is an amazing thing to witness. When it comes to moms, you better watch out if you are in their way – just ask mama bears and their cubs!
The instinct for animal moms isn’t always “protective,” however. Sometimes it’s a bit cuter!
One woman caught something amazing on video. In Vale do Paraiso, Brazil, she filmed an “inter-species” mother who took in some strange babies. The mother, a chicken, decided to take on some babies who didn’t quite look like her.
On the woman’s farm, a dog had just recently given birth to a litter of puppies.
Strangely, after she gave birth, the doggy mom didn’t seem to care anymore! She wasn’t interested in nursing or raising her own babies. Apparently, this sometimes happens with animals.
Yes, a mother dog can reject her litter and turn on her puppies. This may happen because she feels unwell herself, or because a puppy seems too weak to be worthy of her care, or simply because of a lack of maternal instinct. Such behavior may appear from the moment she has given birth, or a few days or weeks later. – Breeding Business
When the mom rejected the puppies, another super-mom stepped in!
The chicken! Despite the puppies being distinctly different than her, she stepped in and took up the mantle of motherhood. The farm’s resident hen became a dog-mom overnight.
It’s a strange thing, but it’s quite a sight to behold.
The woman even posted a video showing the funny relationship! The hen is sitting in a flower box, and the little puppies are spread around her, looking totally comfortable. The pups seem to know that they have someone watching over them as they sleep.
At one point, the hen even spreads out her wings and covers them like chicks.
When someone gets too close to the furry pups, the hen visibly gets nervous. She really cares for her little charges! The funny relationship is an amazing thing to see. It’s like getting to see a glimpse into what nature is capable of.
The farmer thinks it’s pretty incredible.
In the video, she writes:
“On my farm in the rural zone, I realized the affection that the chicken has for the dogs, the puppies returned the affection immediately and greatly,”
It is quite a sight of nature, as well!
“Only nature could do this,” the farmer says. “How beautiful.”
What would cause a hen to do this?
In case you didn’t know, hens are actually ancient symbols of motherhood! Even back in ancient times, a Roman historian said:
“drooping their wings for some to creep under, and receiving with joyous and affectionate clucks others that mount upon their backs or run up to them from every direction; and though they flee from dogs and snakes if they are frightened only for themselves, if their fright is for their children, they stand their ground and fight it out beyond their strength.”
Maybe we can all learn a bit from the mothering instinct of a hen!
The moral of the story? Love can overcome most differences.
Check out the video below!
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