I Took My Broody's Eggs...

[Chicky Tocks]

I feel bad. They're due the day before Mother's day. They're peeping and one of them is pipped. The problem is that she's sitting in a milk crate in a pen full of adult chickens. One of the eggs went completely missing from right underneath her! No evidence of it whatsoever. I tried to move her to a sizeable cage, milk crate and all, but she went crazy. She would not stay on her nest. Several hours passed and she refused to simmer down. She was stomping and rolling the peeping eggs around. So I opened the pen and let her out with her ranging flock. I brought the eggs in and put them in the Brinsea. I really wanted to let Broody Trudy be a mom. So sad...but I want more for those babies to live. I'm just not set up for hatching in the coop.

 

[Terri O]

I just leave my hens in with the older ones. THey do OK with the babies. Woe to any hen that comes near!

 

[CCourson05]

You think a snake got the egg?

 

[Chicky Tocks]

I don't know. I've never seen a snake anywhere near my chicken coop or runs. That's not to say that that's not what happened. I've had a broody hatch babies in the pen with others, but these are black copper marans and they're so clutzy! I just went out to check on her and she's found another milk crate in the coop to sit in. I'm thinking that maybe I will let her sit until her eggs hatch. Then I'll go out at night and put her and the chicks and a couple of fake eggs under her in the cage...not sure if that will work, but she's determined and will sit for another 21 days if I don't get her some babies.

OR Maybe I should put the chicks under her in the milk crate at night and then move them all together the next day so she's bonded to them.