Update: still alive! ...I just tucked some chicks in for the night.
Last edited Sat Jul 11, 2020, 09:48 AM - Edit history (1)
Update for 6:45 am:
The rest of the coop is up and the two mamas are still in their nests. The one that got two of the chicks has both of her wings out. She’s in a secured area of the hen house, separated from the flock. When I opened things up to look at her, I jostled her just a bit. One of the chicks fell out from under her wing and quickly dove back under her. The other one is presumably under her other wing but it would be on the far side of her and I didn’t want to disturb her more.
The other mama is in a metal nest box a couple of feet off the ground. I’ll rig up an enclosure for her today within the hen house and then move her. Her one chick is alive and tucked under her wing.
So far, so good!
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Catchy title?
I have two hens that go broody once a year at the same time. That means they’ll sit on eggs for a couple of weeks, stealing new eggs if they can to add to their clutch. They get all fluffy and grumbly if you remove eggs from under them. They’ll sit on their nest for 23 hours a day, maybe getting up to get some food and water and take a very smelly poo once a day.
We have no roosters, so the eggs my hens lay are not fertile and will never ever hatch. This year, I tucked wooden eggs under them. They’ve been sitting on them for 3 weeks.
I picked up three day old chicks this morning. They’ve been cheeping in my closet all day long, learning how to peck food and drink water. Once the sun set, I took them outside and tucked them under their new mamas. They immediately stopped cheeping and snuggled in for the night.
Hopefully the mamas don’t kill them first thing in the morning. Have never tried this method before, but apparently it works. Sometimes.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Hopefully they are ready to be mommas.
