Kurczaklover
Songster
- Dec 3, 2021
- 111
- 431
- 156
I am hoping I am over thinking this, but need reassurance or guidance for corrections. Let me start with I am in the Panhandle of Florida, it was 87 today, but we are having unseasonably cool weather tonight, 55 degrees. 4 weeks ago I had a hen go broody, (of course she did, I had 28 2 week old chicks). I waited a week, gentle discouraging seemed to make her more determined. So that Thursday night I swapped the eggs she was on, for a compilation of 12 fresh, fertilized eggs from multiple ladies. I know better, but I forgot to mark them. The next day, she had 14, then 17. About 5 days in, her sister was in the nest with her. Not the end of the world, I moved her and half of the now 21 eggs to the nesting box next door. The next morning both girls and all 21 eggs were back in the same box. Fine, I know they are usually inseparable, I let it go. Week 2 went smoothly, but around the 15th day I started noticing another lady would come out for morning treats, then return to the coop, sit on the roosting bar directly across from the nest. Yesterday morning was the same, but when I went out a few hours later, the sister and the voyeur were in the nest next to my original broody, not nearly so roomy, with 13 eggs, 1 fluffy and one damp new chicks chirping under them, and a dead baby. I returned the 2 babies back to the 1 lady, divided the eggs in the second nest between the 2nd and a 3rd nest and they promptly took their position. Last night, I carefully candled all eggs, and placed the most mature ones under mom 1, etc. This morning, there were no eggs, babies or hens in the third box, sister and the voyeur had, all their eggs and them in the 2nd box, the 2 chicks under the voyeur. Meanwhile, my 28 'teenagers' have vacated the nursery in the last week. So after my husband returned from the food run to Tractor supply, he mentioned they had some leghorns and actually suggested I get some for the bonus moms. No problem. I put the voyeur in one nest, with the 2 chicks she was not giving up, and slid a third under her, no eggs. And left sister on the eggs. Who then promptly got in with her sister. I moved sister to the nursery, slid 3 babies under her, with a small swimming pool as the nest so the babies can't wander off. I left the door open, so she could come and go, she was happy as a clam. I gave 4 leghorn chicks to my original momma hen who just tucked them right in. 1 hour later I came to check, there was a blond chick wandering outside the coop door (everyone free ranges over several acres)The voyeur and sister were both in the nursery in the pool, 5 of the six chicks with them, each had one of the ones we hatched, 2 leghorns under the sister, 1 under the voyeur, I tucked the wanderer under the voyeur and decided it was a good day to putter in and around the coop. One hen moved her hatched baby and 1 leghorn into the narrow space behind the nursery. The remaining hen has 4 chicks now. My original broody is doing great, another chick hatched this afternoon. Everyone seemed to settle, all the chicks tucked with a mom. Whew, YAY!. When I went to close the coop for the night, everyone was quiet, but the 4th chick was sitting about a foot away by itself. I tucked her in, and came in to consult with you all. As soon as I post this, going back to check on them. We are not new to chickens, but this hot mess is new. Thank you in advance! (Update: All the chicks are tucked under a hen, maybe we are going to be okay)
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