Australopes Gone Broody

[OrionDarkwood]

Note - Australopes - Aussies
Note 2 - This thread is documenting our fun with broody Aussies in hopes it will help others on the forum.
Note 3 Our nesting box setup with X denoting the location of the broody hens The 2nd tier is about 3 foot off the ground, the 1st teir is about 6 inches. The nests are large black garden pots

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When we decided on Aussies we learned that they did not like to go broody. Well not only have we had just one but two go broody, Each has around 7-10 eggs under her. She aka Squaker when broody a couple of weeks ago, but another one Hilda went broody 3 days ago. For broody hens they are surprising easy going, we can pet them, reach under them and even remove eggs (we candled Squaker's a couple of nights ago) without them doing more than puffing up and making a broody crackle. Our plan in in the next couple of days create 2 covered stalls in the coop for them and let nature take its course other than providing food and water for the hen's and the chickens once they hatch. The only time we plan on intervening is if the hens tried to kill the biddies.

 

[Poultry parent]

i don't know what you read but i read in multiple places that they do indeed go broody, most heavy set breeds do

 

[OrionDarkwood]

So been away for a bit, here is the update. We constructed a nursery (3 pallets held up with concrete blocks with a pallet as the roof with a tarp on it). Squawker is in it, her eggs are hatching she has 4 biddies so far. Another hen (Hilda) stole one (didn't know they did that) because I did not think they would start hatching until tomorrow and left the door to the nursery open. So I put it back with Squawker who happily took the biddie back. Also we have another hen that when broody the a couple of days after Hilda did, her name is 4-eyes and she is on 4 eggs. We tried to break her but fiqured with everything else going on might as well let her sit on some to see if she will be a good mother hen.

 

[AuntNomi]

How are the little ones doing? How many did you end up with?
My English Orpington just hatched 3 chicks, it was her very first time but she has been being such a great mom. Good luck!

 

[OrionDarkwood]

More drama than a reality TV show going on in my coop lately. Squawker hatched 5 of her eggs. Mama and biddies are doing great she has taken them out the last couple of days. I noticed that Squawker would grab a food pellet and crush it up for the little ones. Well I moved Sqawker out of the nursery which worked fine for half a day, by eveing she found her way back into the nursery (no idea how unless she squeezed in between the pallets no easy task.In the meantime one of Hilda's eggs hatched early so we moved her into the nursery yesterday. Well the one biddie hatching did not make it, not sure what went on it looked like it go about half of the egg shell broke up.. Well I go to tuck them in tonight and Hilda is out of the nursery (found out how both where getting in and out of the nursery) and Sqwaker was in the nest on the eggs with her biddies. So I took the eggs and put them under Hilda who is now back where she started, however after the first couple of eggs she started pushing them out from under her. So I put the ones she pushed out under 4-eyes.

Only thing I can think of is Hilda got freaked about the one biddie dying and doesn't want to sit or maybe Squawker ran her off the nest.. I am not sure but we shall see if we get any more biddies. If so they will be early next week.