I have this awesome rosecomb momma who raised 3 clutches for me last year and two the year before. Everytime she sees chicks, she begins to cluck... even if they belong to someone else. Well, one of her daughters just laid her first egg earlier this year and, when she went broody a few weeks ago, I expected nothing less than broo-tastic. After 3 weeks of diligence, the eggs began to hatch. As the sounds of peeping filled the air, gramma broody began to cluck an fluff. But, her daughter, sadly bailed from the nest. She was frantic and didn't know what to do. ...so, she began to peck at the babies. I took the ones that hatched and kept them in a brooder while she hatched the remaining eggs. With each chick that hatched, I would hear this screaming coming from the coop! I ran out each time to find momma running around and the babies getting chilled. So, I took them all leaving behind two eggs. Meanwhile, because momma was beginning to show interest, I let a few eggs collect in the top nest so she could begin incubating her own.
Well, I got sidetracked with the kids and everything else and remembered the two last eggs. The last time I checked both eggs had pipped and that was hours ago
I ran outside expecting them to have gotten chilled. And, when I made it to the backyard and found the daughter broody chillin in the yard, my heart sank.
I opened the coop door and saw gramma broody to the rescue.. pleased as pie covering two babies and screaming at me. That's momma broodinese for "don't you even think about touching my babies!" So, I went in and scooped up the rest of the littluns and placed them in front. One by one, the ran under gram
Now the daughter is sitting on the eggs in the upper nest. I guess she wants another shot.
Well, I got sidetracked with the kids and everything else and remembered the two last eggs. The last time I checked both eggs had pipped and that was hours ago
I opened the coop door and saw gramma broody to the rescue.. pleased as pie covering two babies and screaming at me. That's momma broodinese for "don't you even think about touching my babies!" So, I went in and scooped up the rest of the littluns and placed them in front. One by one, the ran under gram
Now the daughter is sitting on the eggs in the upper nest. I guess she wants another shot.
