Broody hen leaves eggs for hours every day

[Miss717]

There are three left out of sixteen living in the trees.

Is there any way you could lure them with treats or scraps of some kind into an enclosure or building of some kind and clip their wings and tame them down?

 

[Lelilamom]

Is there any way you could lure them with treats or scraps of some kind into an enclosure or building of some kind and clip their wings and tame them down?

They do not approach any humans. They don't eat treats - the former owners never gave them anything but layer pellets. And every year he slaughtered half his flock for food (yes these are layers), so I'm guessing they didn't like him much either. I was able to capture one and she screamed and clawed and flapped and eventually got out of my arms despite my best attempts to hold her and calm her.

I have the abandoned baby, who is not likely to make it, on a heating pad, wrapped in towels, in a box. It is breathing faster now and moving every once in a while, but I have no hope. Momma hen had thrown it out of the nest and left it for dead.

 

[Miss717]

And every year he slaughtered half his flock for food (yes these are layers), so I'm guessing they didn't like him much either. I was able to capture one and she screamed and clawed and flapped and eventually got out of my arms despite my best attempts to hold her and calm her.

Some people do keep multipurpose flocks and thin them out every year by slaughtering some. I personally don't have the heart to do that, but yes I can't blame the birds for not wanting anything to do with humans. If by chance you do catch another one, they say not to because it scares them, but hold both of her legs together in one hand and hang her upside down. She will be easier to handle this way and hopefully she will calm down enough to get her into some kind of confined area that she can't get out of like a dog kennel or small room like a closet or bathroom in your house. Then taming her would just take baby steps. Just an idea don't know how bad you're wanting to catch them and tame them down.

 

[Lelilamom]

If by chance you do catch another one, they say not to because it scares them, but hold both of her legs together in one hand and hang her upside down.

I think this is how he slaughtered them. He showed us his hanging post. Honestly, I doubt there will be many left by this weekend.

 

[Lelilamom]

Honestly I think you got lucky nd the ones that hatched first just wanted to stay on the nest and then those 2 hatch. It may die but I would try to put it under a heat lamp at 100 degrees.

I now have the abandoned chick under a heat lamp. 100 degrees was much too hot and it started panting. Its at 78 and the chick is starting to peep a little and move its legs and head, but not much. It cannot raise its head yet and is still lying in a prone position.

 

[rIrs roost]

I now have the abandoned chick under a heat lamp. 100 degrees was much too hot and it started panting. Its at 78 and the chick is starting to peep a little and move its legs and head, but not much. It cannot raise its head yet and is still lying in a prone position.

100 degrees should've been fine. That's the temp that we hatch them in the incubator. After they're dry we put them in the brooder and leave the temp at 95 for a week and drop it down 5 degrees a week. If it's chirps alot that means that it's too cold.

 

[Lelilamom]

100 degrees should've been fine. That's the temp that we hatch them in the incubator. After they're dry we put them in the brooder and leave the temp at 95 for a week and drop it down 5 degrees a week. If it's chirps alot that means that it's too cold.

Momma hen hatched her first 59 degrees and it was running around on the first day and the temp never got above 65. This morning it was 53 degrees when these two hatched. I don't think naturally brooded chicks need it that hot. The chick has only chirped twice I think. It was stone cold when I took it out of the nest and now its body temp is up.

 

[Lelilamom]

The abandoned chick, now named "Silver chick" survived the night. Its still laying down, very weak, but moving much more. It drank a drop of water out of my hand and chirped once. It's flapping its wings, kicking its legs and opening its eyes. It picked up its head a few times.

 

[Lelilamom]

Silver chick continues to improve. It ate quite a bit of raw egg yolk and held its head up for a while. Now its tired from eating and sleeping soundly.

 

[Lelilamom]

Silver chick survived another night but is still weak. I don't think its eating enough. It tires quickly and starts to pant when I feed it for more than two or three min. It still can't hold its head up. Not looking good.