For baby chicks, their mother is their teacher. They watch her every move and mimic what she does. In the first photo, look how intensely the chicks study her every move. If she pecks at something, so will they. If she flees from something, so will they. If they see her drinking, so will they.

As she teaches them life’s lessons, she watches out for them like a hawk. Some hens are more protective than others. You see the same thing with human parents. This hen, 紫雲姫 – Princess Purple Cloud, is a tiger mom. She keeps all the other chickens a safe distance away, and makes sure her chicks are always nearby. When she was incubating her eggs, if I got my hand or arm too close, she gladly drew blood. She is not a hen you want to mess with.