1st time Broody Hen's EXTENDED(!!) hatch!

[Goldwingnut]

I have an unusually long hatch going on. This little gal started her project with three eggs in the clutch. The first one hatched on Labor Day and the second one nine days later.

Yes that's right. 9 days.

When I would check in on her, and/or handle her several days in, I found an extra (4th) egg that was apparently hers, judging by the color. Then one of my other hens apparently contributed to the clutch, so 5 eggs in total. Before it was all said and done there were 13 eggs she was sitting on. I guess it was a community project.

I should have marked them in the beginning but it didn't occur to me I needed to do that. I'm a real newbie to this game.

Well, I want to pull the plug on this project, because at this point there could be no viable eggs in her nest. I don't want to aggravate her or make her think I'm the enemy, but I'm not quite sure what to do.

How should I handle this?

I currently have her in the Witness Protection Program with her two chicks in her very own Second Story Private Nursery Condo, located in the "apartment" above my dog's Kennel in the garage. It's just an extra wire dog kennel, with some makeshift cardboard walls.

I moved her and the chicks out of her nesting box when it became apparent that every time she would leave to get a drink, the other hens would attack her. It breaks my heart to see that, and I don't know why they're doing it.

My 8 bird flock (7 +1) sleeps in a 6x10 Suskovich style chicken tractor at night, and I let them go out part of the day, most days.

 

[NatJ]

Well, I want to pull the plug on this project, because at this point there could be no viable eggs in her nest. I don't want to aggravate her or make her think I'm the enemy, but I'm not quite sure what to do.

How should I handle this?

Just take away any other eggs. As long as the hen still has the chicks, she should be busy mothering them, and not bothered about the eggs being gone.

You can reach under her and take the eggs, or you can lift her off the nest and then take the eggs, or you can wait until she comes off the nest to eat & drink and then take the eggs. Any of those will work just fine, so it doesn't really matter which one you choose.

Do not worry about aggravating the hen or making her think you are the enemy. A hen with new babies will think everyone is an enemy, whether they really are or not. She will go back to normal in a while (after she is done raising the chicks.)

 

[Goldwingnut]

@NatJ I took your advice. As of Sunday, Madame Hairy-ette no longer has a clutch of eggs to sit on. That part went fine. Thanks for the response!

But that brings me to the next problem which I knew I was going to happen. She's the absolute bottom of the pecking order, and during her extended "brood" she had isolated herself from the flock to the point where they picked on her when she hopped out to eat or drink. I'm not even so worried about my Roo as I am what I witnessed from the other pullets. They chased her around until I was afraid for her safety.

They will all be 7 months old next Thursday.

I've got her in her own Safe House with her two young chicks. (XL Dog Crate in the garage)

They AREN'T getting any sun. Mama is skin and bones with no exercise for 6+ weeks. We eats well, however, now that I've removed her nest.

Any thoughts?

I don't want her or the chicks to get picked on.

I've got 1 cockerel and 5 pullets, since almost 2 weeks ago I found one of my girls dead from no apparent reason.

They lay nearly every 24 hours. (Maybe 30)

So I've got 6 plus the new mama and her 2 younguns.

Integration at this point, makes me pucker in a place I don't care to mention in polite company.

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ I took your advice. As of Sunday, Madame Hairy-ette no longer has a clutch of eggs to sit on. That part went fine. Thanks for the response!

But that brings me to the next problem which I knew I was going to happen. She's the absolute bottom of the pecking order, and during her extended "brood" she had isolated herself from the flock to the point where they picked on her when she hopped out to eat or drink. I'm not even so worried about my Roo as I am what I witnessed from the other pullets. They chased her around until I was afraid for her safety.

They will all be 7 months old next Thursday.

I've got her in her own Safe House with her two young chicks. (XL Dog Crate in the garage)

They AREN'T getting any sun. Mama is skin and bones with no exercise for 6+ weeks. We eats well, however, now that I've removed her nest.

Any thoughts?

I don't want her or the chicks to get picked on.

I've got 1 cockerel and 5 pullets, since almost 2 weeks ago I found one of my girls dead from no apparent reason.

They lay nearly every 24 hours. (Maybe 30)

So I've got 6 plus the new mama and her 2 younguns.

Integration at this point, makes me pucker in a place I don't care to mention in polite company.

I'm glad you got the eggs removed

For the rest of the situation:

I would start by letting the hen regain some weight and strength, and the chicks grow, for at least a few days, while they live safely in the dog crate. You might try to take the hen and chicks outside for a bit of sunshine and exercise each day, if you can let them be in a spot the other chickens cannot get to them.

For integration, it might help if you can set up a situation where the hen & chicks can see the other chickens, and can be seen by them, but cannot hurt each other. For example, you might use wire mesh to make them a space next to where the other chickens live, or even inside the pen with the other chickens. Or you might have them live in the dog crate for a while, but put the dog crate inside the chicken coop.

I suspect a few weeks of look-no-touch living will make a big difference: the hen will have regained some weight and strength, the chicks will be bigger and able to run away from danger, and the other chickens will no longer see the hen and chicks as strangers. So putting them all together might work better then.