- Nov 17, 2009
- 1
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Hi there,
We have our first broody hen, a year old buff Orpington, ( Mrs. Buffington) and she has been faithfully setting on non starter eggs for 3 weeks. Our idea was to slip some chicks under her at night, and hope she would adopt them and raise them...making her happy(!) making us happy (!) and making the chicks happy!
This late in the season, we were only able to find week old chicks, and last night, in the dark, we put them together in a box in the house. She made great sounds, and the six chicks slipped easily under her wings to peep and sleep. She made a contented "purring" noise that gave us great hope.
This morning however, she pecks them hard on the head whenever they try to come out from under her wings. After watching carefully, we separated her from the chicks. Now she is looking for them, but when allowed back with them, again, she pecks them. I guess they just aren't acting like newly hatched chicks because they aren't of course.
Any ideas to save this situation? Mrs. Buffington wants to be in the box with them, but then, when they act like the somewhat independent chicks they are, she pecks them. Hard.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
We have our first broody hen, a year old buff Orpington, ( Mrs. Buffington) and she has been faithfully setting on non starter eggs for 3 weeks. Our idea was to slip some chicks under her at night, and hope she would adopt them and raise them...making her happy(!) making us happy (!) and making the chicks happy!
This late in the season, we were only able to find week old chicks, and last night, in the dark, we put them together in a box in the house. She made great sounds, and the six chicks slipped easily under her wings to peep and sleep. She made a contented "purring" noise that gave us great hope.
This morning however, she pecks them hard on the head whenever they try to come out from under her wings. After watching carefully, we separated her from the chicks. Now she is looking for them, but when allowed back with them, again, she pecks them. I guess they just aren't acting like newly hatched chicks because they aren't of course.
Any ideas to save this situation? Mrs. Buffington wants to be in the box with them, but then, when they act like the somewhat independent chicks they are, she pecks them. Hard.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
