I have a conundrum. I know that I am old and senile but.... Some people were here today to get a couple of Blue Slate poults. As we approached the coop, two hens who had been robbed of their poults were standing guard over a fairly newly hatched Blue Slate poult. It still had its egg tooth so couldn't have been too old.
I figured that the hens had stolen it from another hen whose eggs should have been hatching soon. After the people left with their newly acquired poults, I captured the little one and put it in the brooder. Then began the investigation. The two hens that are sitting on nests still have their full complement of eggs. The one that is due soon still has the two eggs she had the whole time. The other hen which should have a week to go is still sitting on all seven of her eggs.
One other hen is sitting on an empty nest. She had hatched 4 out of 5 and the fifth egg is now bait in the live trap. The youngest hen hatched the only 2 eggs she had and as a reward when I stole her poults, I gave her four more eggs from the incubator. She hatched 3 of those 4 eggs and the unhatched egg was added to the garden. Her nest was outside of the run.
The last hen had 3 eggs the whole time and I removed those 3 eggs yesterday when I found them smashed. I suspect they got smashed from a rooster trying to mate with her but can't prove that other than her back which was fully feathered for most of her time on the nest is now pretty bare.
All known eggs are accounted for and all broodies are accounted for. Where did the new poult come from?
In the meantime the hen that felt it was the mother of the extra poult is now in with the 2 week old poults working on convincing them that she is their mother.
I figured that the hens had stolen it from another hen whose eggs should have been hatching soon. After the people left with their newly acquired poults, I captured the little one and put it in the brooder. Then began the investigation. The two hens that are sitting on nests still have their full complement of eggs. The one that is due soon still has the two eggs she had the whole time. The other hen which should have a week to go is still sitting on all seven of her eggs.
One other hen is sitting on an empty nest. She had hatched 4 out of 5 and the fifth egg is now bait in the live trap. The youngest hen hatched the only 2 eggs she had and as a reward when I stole her poults, I gave her four more eggs from the incubator. She hatched 3 of those 4 eggs and the unhatched egg was added to the garden. Her nest was outside of the run.
The last hen had 3 eggs the whole time and I removed those 3 eggs yesterday when I found them smashed. I suspect they got smashed from a rooster trying to mate with her but can't prove that other than her back which was fully feathered for most of her time on the nest is now pretty bare.
All known eggs are accounted for and all broodies are accounted for. Where did the new poult come from?
In the meantime the hen that felt it was the mother of the extra poult is now in with the 2 week old poults working on convincing them that she is their mother.
