Mother hen Te Puea with most of her 18 chicks. Photo by Ben Guild.
The brood, which is part Orpington and part Bantam, emerged from the undergrowth on January 1 unbeknown to the hen's owner Betty Roberts.
A friend who visited on New Year's Day told Mrs Roberts she had 18 new arrivals on her lawn.
An inspection of the grounds revealed a large nest well away from sight, and a 19th egg that had failed to hatch.
"They were definitely her eggs - there were no other hens here," Mrs Roberts said, before detailing how her hen must have spread its wings "30cm-40cm" to cover the eggs.
