Down to the last few days, new questions arise!

[Kiki]

Ethel is a great mom! She was putting bits of melon on the ground then calling the babies to come eat it. If the piece was too big she would chase them down and take it away. Lol. Eat it herself and get them more. I picked them up and took them outside and she followed, carried them back in and she followed. She doesn't let them out of her sight.
View attachment 1456932

This is too cute!

 

[rita2paul]

what a great picture, she is such a good mum. i hope it all goes well for my little girl. what does the other think of the new chicks.

 

[andreanar]

what a great picture, she is such a good mum. i hope it all goes well for my little girl. what does the other think of the new chicks.

The other girls really haven't paid attention that Ive seen. The mama and littles are in their own cage inside the coop. When I let them outside the other girls are free ranging.

 

[Trinitydraco]

I have my first eggs in the bator and just got a bantam cochin for the next batch. This thread has been so great! It's day 16 on the eggs for me. 2 more days till lock down! Threads like this one are keeping me sane while I wait!

 

[andreanar]

I have my first eggs in the bator and just got a bantam cochin for the next batch. This thread has been so great! It's day 16 on the eggs for me. 2 more days till lock down! Threads like this one are keeping me sane while I wait!

Ooh good luck! It's the hardest waiting!

 

[timetoroost]

Soooo good to see this post. I have had a CONSTANT broody momma (occasionally another joins her) and no matter what, I could NOT break her of it. I tried everything. I didn't think our adopted rooster was ... well, "active"..... so bought 15 day old chicks this year. My husband and I decided to get a much larger chicken house than the one we had built and been using. All our adult hens (and rooster) were still up in the original hen house. We had built into the new house a little area separated (but included) where we hoped to have a broody momma sit and raise her babies. Then I decided to get 12 (hopefully) fertilized eggs from a neighbor and moved the broody into the new house with the eggs. She refused to sit on them!!! Argh!!!!! I put her back in the old hen house, and she went right back to her favorite (high) nesting box and remained broody. ok. SO, apparently she did not want to move. Despite my conviction that our rooster is nothing but a free-loader, I decided to let her keep 13 eggs that were laid in her box and she claimed. She discarded 2 right away. Yesterday was day 12 and 8 of the remaining 11 were FERTILE!!!! Yahoo!!! This might work! They were so dark that I could not tell if they were all alive, but we are hoping!
So obviously we had some of the same questions.... when to move her and the babies down to a safe level, especially. Given her earlier refusal to move and quitting (actually just not accepting) the eggs, I was thinking about holding off on their move til day 2 after they are hatched. What do you all think????? And total frustration: I have to be gone for 2 days, starting on their due date! Double Argh. My husband will be here ...but.....but.... I wanna be!

 

[andreanar]

Soooo good to see this post. I have had a CONSTANT broody momma (occasionally another joins her) and no matter what, I could NOT break her of it. I tried everything. I didn't think our adopted rooster was ... well, "active"..... so bought 15 day old chicks this year. My husband and I decided to get a much larger chicken house than the one we had built and been using. All our adult hens (and rooster) were still up in the original hen house. We had built into the new house a little area separated (but included) where we hoped to have a broody momma sit and raise her babies. Then I decided to get 12 (hopefully) fertilized eggs from a neighbor and moved the broody into the new house with the eggs. She refused to sit on them!!! Argh!!!!! I put her back in the old hen house, and she went right back to her favorite (high) nesting box and remained broody. ok. SO, apparently she did not want to move. Despite my conviction that our rooster is nothing but a free-loader, I decided to let her keep 13 eggs that were laid in her box and she claimed. She discarded 2 right away. Yesterday was day 12 and 8 of the remaining 11 were FERTILE!!!! Yahoo!!! This might work! They were so dark that I could not tell if they were all alive, but we are hoping!
So obviously we had some of the same questions.... when to move her and the babies down to a safe level, especially. Given her earlier refusal to move and quitting (actually just not accepting) the eggs, I was thinking about holding off on their move til day 2 after they are hatched. What do you all think????? And total frustration: I have to be gone for 2 days, starting on their due date! Double Argh. My husband will be here ...but.....but.... I wanna be!

I tried to move my broody too, early on, and she wasn't having it. I just used cheap netting to block her off from the other girls. When the babies hatched, I moved her and she was fine. Wherever those babies are, is where she'll stay! Lol. Good luck.

 

[rita2paul]

looks like we all have the same problem, mine is sat up in a nesting box high off the ground, i tried moving her but she just keeps going back up to the high box, they are due around 7 days time, i have a broody area for her on the floor kept with the girls as i am worried to separate her. should i move her on day of hatch or wait until they hatch i am worried they might fall out.

 

[andreanar]

looks like we all have the same problem, mine is sat up in a nesting box high off the ground, i tried moving her but she just keeps going back up to the high box, they are due around 7 days time, i have a broody area for her on the floor kept with the girls as i am worried to separate her. should i move her on day of hatch or wait until they hatch i am worried they might fall out.

I'd wait until they hatch. Once a few hatched, my broody would not be separated from them. So when I moved the chicks and unhatched eggs, she was more inclined to stay with them.

She's such a good mama!

 

[rita2paul]

I'd wait until they hatch. Once a few hatched, my broody would not be separated from them. So when I moved the chicks and unhatched eggs, she was more inclined to stay with them.

She's such a good mama!
View attachment 1462646

what a lovely photo, how many did she have. do you let the mum see the other chickens, if you are free range they probably don’t bother them, i don’t have so much room, they have a large run with electric fence around them.