AurumGrace
In the Brooder
Hello BYC
Just last night, I attempted to "swap out" 7 of my hen's eggs with 8 baby chicks. She had been broody for about 3 weeks now, and we had set up an area in the garage with everything both she and the chicks could need. Her eggs were not fertilized so we had to buy 1-day old chicks. When we put them under her, they were about 2 days old. We had made sure not to touch any of them after we had taken them out of the box, and they were kept in the garage in a different cage.
my hen (Aurum) seemed calm, and comfortable, so we waited until around 10 pm and in the darkness inserted one chick under her wing while taking out an egg. We waited for her to react, but she only sat up straighter and did nothing else. We waited a minute or two then did the same thing with the other 7 chicks, one by one. She seemed calm, a little surprised, but no pecking or freaking out. We thought perhaps she had accepted them.
We waited and waited, occasionally a chick or two would peep their head out and she would make a hissing noise and gently peck it back under her wing. Aurum would watch one occasionally, just stare at it, then do the same thing. Once, when I tried to reach in to fix a towel on the floor next to her wing, she pecked my hand (which she never does, so I though perhaps she was "protecting" her chicks.
Then around 11 pm, 2 chicks were pushed out from under her wing by another chick. Aurum stared at them for a minute or two, but then began to harshly peck it. We were forced to take the chick away from her, thinking once she calmed down we could insert it back in. Every time we tried, she would peck it fiercely. We finally got her to relax and were able to put it back under, but another one came out!
We didn't know what to do. If we turned on the heat lamp for the chicks outside her wings, Aurum would be able to see and might attack all of them, she was also panting and we didn't want to make her any hotter than she already was. if we didn't turn on the heat lamp however, the chicks might die.
Finally, after a long night of checking on her, we were forced to take the chicks away. She had not kept any of them under her wing, one by one they had all been pushed out by the other chicks and either she hadn't seen them, couldn't move for fear of pushing out the others, or simply didn't care at all.
This morning, we took Aurum out of the cage and put her outside. She seemed upset, and still slightly broody, eating little and drinking nothing. She would make broody noises and puff herself up.
I don't know what to do. Will she go back to being broody with no eggs and no broody spot? Will she break out of it and go back to normal? Is she confused now, first having chicks then no chicks? is she going to be depressed? Would it be bad to reintroduce her to the chicks, perhaps try again?
I really need advice. Apologies for the long message, I wanted to make sure every detail was answered for. Thank you very much, I value all of your opinions.
Just last night, I attempted to "swap out" 7 of my hen's eggs with 8 baby chicks. She had been broody for about 3 weeks now, and we had set up an area in the garage with everything both she and the chicks could need. Her eggs were not fertilized so we had to buy 1-day old chicks. When we put them under her, they were about 2 days old. We had made sure not to touch any of them after we had taken them out of the box, and they were kept in the garage in a different cage.
my hen (Aurum) seemed calm, and comfortable, so we waited until around 10 pm and in the darkness inserted one chick under her wing while taking out an egg. We waited for her to react, but she only sat up straighter and did nothing else. We waited a minute or two then did the same thing with the other 7 chicks, one by one. She seemed calm, a little surprised, but no pecking or freaking out. We thought perhaps she had accepted them.
We waited and waited, occasionally a chick or two would peep their head out and she would make a hissing noise and gently peck it back under her wing. Aurum would watch one occasionally, just stare at it, then do the same thing. Once, when I tried to reach in to fix a towel on the floor next to her wing, she pecked my hand (which she never does, so I though perhaps she was "protecting" her chicks.
Then around 11 pm, 2 chicks were pushed out from under her wing by another chick. Aurum stared at them for a minute or two, but then began to harshly peck it. We were forced to take the chick away from her, thinking once she calmed down we could insert it back in. Every time we tried, she would peck it fiercely. We finally got her to relax and were able to put it back under, but another one came out!
We didn't know what to do. If we turned on the heat lamp for the chicks outside her wings, Aurum would be able to see and might attack all of them, she was also panting and we didn't want to make her any hotter than she already was. if we didn't turn on the heat lamp however, the chicks might die.
Finally, after a long night of checking on her, we were forced to take the chicks away. She had not kept any of them under her wing, one by one they had all been pushed out by the other chicks and either she hadn't seen them, couldn't move for fear of pushing out the others, or simply didn't care at all.
This morning, we took Aurum out of the cage and put her outside. She seemed upset, and still slightly broody, eating little and drinking nothing. She would make broody noises and puff herself up.
I don't know what to do. Will she go back to being broody with no eggs and no broody spot? Will she break out of it and go back to normal? Is she confused now, first having chicks then no chicks? is she going to be depressed? Would it be bad to reintroduce her to the chicks, perhaps try again?
I really need advice. Apologies for the long message, I wanted to make sure every detail was answered for. Thank you very much, I value all of your opinions.
