In the animal kingdom, relationships don’t always follow the rules researchers expect.
While we tend to think that most species are wired to care for their own, there are instances where that instinct is overtaken by a deep maternal one instead.
That’s what one recent farming TikTok video is showing, and it’s been warming viewers’ hearts.
TikTok creator and hobby farmer Kay Johnson (@kayfrancesjohnson) shared a clip that has garnered over 671,500 views, documenting what happened when her turkey was given a chance to raise baby chicks.
How Did The Turkey Become The Chicks’ Mother?
In the video, Johnson films the moment she places three chicken eggs under her turkey, Tauntie.
“She wanted to be a mom, so we gave her some chicken eggs,” she wrote on screen.
As soon as the eggs are placed in the nest, Tauntie pulls them closer and settles over them almost immediately.
That behavior is known as incubation. Birds sit on their eggs to keep them warm, which allows the embryos inside to develop properly until they’re ready to hatch.
“She accepted them right away,” Johnson wrote. “And was so gentle with them.”
After about 21 days, that patience paid off.
“The sweetest thing happened,” she says before the clip cuts to the result.
“Three little fuzzy chicks hatched,” she wrote on screen. “And they’re healthy and happy.”
According to Johnson, things have gone smoothly since then.
“She’s the most patient and loving mom and we’re so thankful they have her,” she wrote.
“Tauntie the turkey is living her dream raising 3 baby chickens,” she added in the caption.
Viewers Find It Adorable
In the comments, viewers thought the situation was especially wholesome.
“I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE LOVE THEIR ANIMALS,” one person wrote.
“Omgracious. How did you know she wanted to be a mom? So sweet,” another asked.
Johnson responded with more context.
“She had been stealing eggs and sitting on them at the neighbor’s house before they gave her to us, so as soon as I noticed she was broody we decided to offer eggs that were fertile and give her a chance,” she wrote.
“So those baby chickens are birdlingual then because their mom speaks turkey to them but they were born speaking chicken… I’m too emotional for this right now,” a third joked.
“Sometimes they are born in your heart first,” another added.
Cross-Species Parenting Isn’t As Rare As It Sounds
While this might seem unusual, there have been documented cases of animals adopting and caring for young outside their own species.
In 2018, researchers at Gir National Park in India observed a lioness caring for a baby leopard, despite the two species typically being competitors. The cub was seen interacting with her biological offspring in behavior researchers described as “bizarre,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.
In another case, a domesticated donkey went missing during a hike. Four years later, he was found living among an elk herd, appearing to be fully accepted by the group and maybe even leading it.
Another lioness in Kenya, named Kamunyak, adopted several baby oryx throughout her life and protected them from predators. Her story is sadder, though, because no antelope ever made it in her care; one died from malnutrition, another was eaten by a male lion, and others were either rescued by wardens or retrieved by their natural mothers.
@kayfrancesjohnson Tauntie the turkey is living her dream raising 3 baby chickens 🥹 🐥 🐥 🐥 🦃 #broody #farmtok #backyardchickens #chickentok #hobbyfarm
BroBible reached out to Johnson via TikTok and Instagram messages for comment.