I was given 7 hens, 13 chicks, and 5 roosters by a friend, all banties. One chicken has 2 chicks, theyre at least 2 weeks apart. (I dont think theyre both really hers). The big white hen had claimed 11 chicks and fought for them when they moved to my coop. (I dont think theyre all hers)
I snuck 10 chicks into the coop and the hen with 11 chicks took them too. Shortly thereafter, the hen with the two chicks now has the 10 chicks. All of the hens lay their eggs in two nest boxes. I dont know whose eggs are whose. Two hens just went broody and have been sitting on those two nests. One gets up, goes to eat and comes back and makes the other hen get off her nest and takes her nest and they switch nests. Now the big white hen (that has 11 chicks) sees the nests full of eggs and tries to take the eggs for herself. (Again, none of them are hers). She sits on the nests until her chicks get demanding and settle in her nestbox at night and she goes to her own box. Tgen the broody hens get back on the eggs.
Whos going to be mothering the chicks? Who knows who these chicks belong to? I dont know, but theyre all good mommies, the chicks will be well cared for by somebody. Those chicks are going to be sooooo confused!
Just thought I would share. Hope you arent as dizzy as I am.
I snuck 10 chicks into the coop and the hen with 11 chicks took them too. Shortly thereafter, the hen with the two chicks now has the 10 chicks. All of the hens lay their eggs in two nest boxes. I dont know whose eggs are whose. Two hens just went broody and have been sitting on those two nests. One gets up, goes to eat and comes back and makes the other hen get off her nest and takes her nest and they switch nests. Now the big white hen (that has 11 chicks) sees the nests full of eggs and tries to take the eggs for herself. (Again, none of them are hers). She sits on the nests until her chicks get demanding and settle in her nestbox at night and she goes to her own box. Tgen the broody hens get back on the eggs.
Whos going to be mothering the chicks? Who knows who these chicks belong to? I dont know, but theyre all good mommies, the chicks will be well cared for by somebody. Those chicks are going to be sooooo confused!
Just thought I would share. Hope you arent as dizzy as I am.
in the chicken world. Buffy went broody on five eggs about a month after she started to lay, and the only egg which hatched was laid by Rebecca. That was easy to tell because it was a green egg. Buffy raised Samantha very well.
