- Jun 27, 2011
- 75
- 2
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Hi, all:
Just an update (if you're interested) about how my broody buff Silkie is doing. We made a nest enclosure for her out of our dog's old sleeping crate. She likes it better than usurping a nest box that she always has to argue over! I understand that's a bad idea, anyway.
She's been setting her "training" eggs for twenty days now. She has just begun to cluck to them as she returns from eating/drinking/pooping breaks.
Nuggie has become VERY reluctant to be removed from her "babies", but does take nourishment when placed by the feeders. She seems mostly interested in fresh veggies and protein, so we've increased this part of their daily supplements. She's lost some weight and we worry about her, so I've begun taking her off the nest morning and night for breaks. She will dust occasionally if taken outside, maybe one time out of three visits.
We've set her up in an attached but separated enclosure with her own water and food, plus plenty of room for the chicks and their feeders. Her five new charges will be arriving Tuesday, and we will attempt to graft them to her once they have been given Gro-gel, food, and water. The brooder is ready to go in case she rejects them.
We have Victoria Roberts' excellent "Poultry at Home" DVD that has instructions on how to graft chicks. We've also read what little there is in print about it. We feel mostly ready to tackle this new part of poultry husbandry, but you can understand that we've very nervous. We love McNugget very much, and don't want anything bad to happen to her or the peeps. That said, we're very excited to add to our little flock.
Anyhow, can anyone offer further input about this?
Thanks in advance,
PulletSurpriseWinner
Just an update (if you're interested) about how my broody buff Silkie is doing. We made a nest enclosure for her out of our dog's old sleeping crate. She likes it better than usurping a nest box that she always has to argue over! I understand that's a bad idea, anyway.
She's been setting her "training" eggs for twenty days now. She has just begun to cluck to them as she returns from eating/drinking/pooping breaks.
Nuggie has become VERY reluctant to be removed from her "babies", but does take nourishment when placed by the feeders. She seems mostly interested in fresh veggies and protein, so we've increased this part of their daily supplements. She's lost some weight and we worry about her, so I've begun taking her off the nest morning and night for breaks. She will dust occasionally if taken outside, maybe one time out of three visits.
We've set her up in an attached but separated enclosure with her own water and food, plus plenty of room for the chicks and their feeders. Her five new charges will be arriving Tuesday, and we will attempt to graft them to her once they have been given Gro-gel, food, and water. The brooder is ready to go in case she rejects them.
We have Victoria Roberts' excellent "Poultry at Home" DVD that has instructions on how to graft chicks. We've also read what little there is in print about it. We feel mostly ready to tackle this new part of poultry husbandry, but you can understand that we've very nervous. We love McNugget very much, and don't want anything bad to happen to her or the peeps. That said, we're very excited to add to our little flock.
Anyhow, can anyone offer further input about this?
Thanks in advance,
PulletSurpriseWinner
