Broody Hen Thread!

[snlconner]

I was just out cleaning up in the coop, trying to get the 'present ' Aggie left me this morning out of the way. About half way through the nasty job I stepped back and just stood there staring at Aguila and trying to mentally guess at what is going on under her when suddenly I heard a very soft 'peeppeeppeep......peep come from the direction of her nesting box. I wish I had a picture of the grin that blossomed on my face at that moment. The torture of waiting and worrying about that little hen and her eggs has just turned into the agony of I WANT TO SEE!!!!  I literally went dancing out of the run and coop in order to find my hubby and spread the good news.

Gotta remember to get the rest of the 'present' cleaned up! LOL!

How exciting! Post pictures when/if you can.

 

[microchick]

Oh I will, don't worry. He or she hasn't peeked out from under momma yet, but I'm hearing that peep peep peep even louder now so it must have just hatched when I was first out there. This is just the first. I know there is one infertile egg under her. The rest should hopefully hatch but you just never know. I'll be happy if just two or three hatch and make Aggie happy.

In all seriousness, I worked for 4 years as an OB nurse and assisted in the births of over 340 babies in that time. Each one was a miracle and I wondered at the first breath each baby took. Some of those babies are 40 years old now and probably grandparents in their own right. But at 62 years of age, I am still in awe and wonder at the miracle of life whether it be a human baby or a little chick.

 

[sharol]

Oh I will, don't worry. He or she hasn't peeked out from under momma yet, but I'm hearing that peep peep peep even louder now so it must have just hatched when I was first out there. This is just the first. I know there is one infertile egg under her. The rest should hopefully hatch but you just never know. I'll be happy if just two or three hatch and make Aggie happy.

In all seriousness, I worked for 4 years as an OB nurse and assisted in the births of over 340 babies in that time. Each one was a miracle and I wondered at the first breath each baby took. Some of those babies are 40 years old now and probably grandparents in their own right. But at 62 years of age, I am still in awe and wonder at the miracle of life whether it be a human baby or a little chick.

I know what you mean. You see the movement when you candle, and the life in there is real. It's a tiny miracle with each hatch. That tiny chick forcing its way out of a shell just chokes me up. My first incubator baby pipped in the middle and tried to zip the long way. After 36 hours of struggle, I gave in and helped him out. He hatched into my hands as I was chipping off little bits of shell. He is my flock rooster now, and he has a home with me as long as he lives.

 

[16 paws]

Marie, that is horrible news. I don't know how things are where you live but around us, if wildlife is threatening you or your livestock, you can take it out. We have Bobcats, luckily, none have been seen on our acreage but they are around. We also have cougars. One was killed about 5 years ago 1 1/2-2 miles away from us and we have heard 'talk' that another was seen even closer. So far we have found no big cat sign on our property. The cougars are protected in MO but the Amish hunters who shot the one 5 years ago reported that the cat never ran from them, held it's ground and snarled at them. They do a predator hunt every January around us just to clear out the coyotes and other predators before spring lambing/calving season happens. The game commissioner said it was a legal kill. They used to say that there were no cougar in MO that the ones that were being seen and killed were bachelor males coming down from Nebraska and the Dakotas looking for new territory until recently. There have been enough seen with kits following them that they have revised their stand on the subject. Now they say that black bear are working their way up state from the Ozarks. Great.

Our biggest problem is airborne predators. My husband gets out his biggest RC planes two or three times a week to scare off the eagles and hawks that have been circling our barn and coop all winter. There are a couple of hawks that like to sit in a nearby oak tree and watch the coop. We have it netted over with bird netting so the worse one could do is get itself tangled up in the nasty stuff. I love birds of prey but not around my chickens. I asked DH what we would do if one got tangled in our netting and he said call the game warden and tell them to come and take care of their problem bird.

Could you set up a game camera, get some pics of the fox then call your own game warden with the proof and ask him to take care of the problem for you?

Thanks for the suggestion, I did call wild animal control and they said they could not do a thing. I think I will call again and make a big stink.

Cant wait to hear some news about your broody. Sounds like she is getting very close to hatching from what you have said. Fluffy bums are coming, oh my!!!
Marie

 

[16 paws]

Trap or shoot the bobcat...it's a danger to you birds, obviously....and your dogs, and any small children or animals...it's not NORMAL bobcat behavior, to boldly hunt your chickens in daylight so close to your home...it may be sick, very young or very old...but even if you live in the woods...it's still not normal for a bobcat. It's strange behavior. Most people who work for a lifetime in the woods have never seen a bobcat. So having one visit your yard in broad daylight, with dogs around...even little ones...on a regular basis is not normal. Sorry for you and your birds to have to worry about something like that.

Thanks poppster,

We live in a wooded area and there is a wildlife preserve on the other side of our property. I agree it is not normal for the bobcat to be so bold. I dont know if it is the same cat but we have had many attacks and it is always in broad daylight. The bobbie does not look old or sick so I dont get it either. He jumped a 6 foot chain link fence with barbed wire to get in and out. I am going to get on the phone and call for help. Thanks for your info.
Marie

 

[16 paws]

I was just out cleaning up in the coop, trying to get the 'present ' Aggie left me this morning out of the way. About half way through the nasty job I stepped back and just stood there staring at Aguila and trying to mentally guess at what is going on under her when suddenly I heard a very soft 'peeppeeppeep......peep come from the direction of her nesting box. I wish I had a picture of the grin that blossomed on my face at that moment. The torture of waiting and worrying about that little hen and her eggs has just turned into the agony of I WANT TO SEE!!!! I literally went dancing out of the run and coop in order to find my hubby and spread the good news.

Gotta remember to get the rest of the 'present' cleaned up! LOL!

Oh how fun, yes, I can just "see" the little grin spreading all over your face. Great news!

Marie

 

[microchick]

Oh how fun, yes, I can just "see" the little grin spreading all over your face. Great news!

Marie

Yeah, I'm still grinning! When I locked up I didn't hear any more peeps coming from the nest but Aggie was softly clucking at me so I softly tuuk tuuk tuuked back at her and instantly I heard peeping join in from the nest. I'm hoping more will be hatched by morning. She set 7 on Feb 6th. One developed a blood ring by day 8 and I pulled it from the clutch along with 3 of six that the other hens donated behind my back....the little sneaks. So she should be hatching all weekend as I pulled the extra eggs from under her on Monday noon.

I'm anxious to see who the daddy is and if it was a Welly egg or a Buff O egg that was first to hatch. It will either be full Buff, full Wellie or Wellie/Buff cross. Those boys do their job quite well. There is even a slim chance that the Lavender O rooster has injected some genes into the mix so if there are any solid black kids I'll know who the guilty rooster is.

She has picked a truly miserable month to do this but bless her she's almost gotterdone at this point.

 

[snlconner]

How many days should go between first sitting and not letting the other hens donate more eggs?

 

[irish hens]

best breed for this kind of stuff ?(probably asked a lot ) lol !!

 

[microchick]

Yeah, aren't they peaches?

I'm all for preserving wildlife. We own 30 acres that were pretty much defiled by the previous owners. The pastures were over grazed, the timber damaged by cattle, all the desireable trees. We have spent years trying to rehabilitate the land and lure wildlife back onto the land. We have wild turkeys, sometimes 25 or more ranging in our front yard and more deer then we could ever count in the timber but today DH had to chase another hawk away with one of his RC planes. Don't mess with our chickens, dogs or cats. That is where we draw the line with the wildlife.

Maybe when you raise your stink, you could get their attention if you suggested that maybe the local news would like to pick up a human interest story about a local hobby farmer being plagued by bobcats that are carrying off chickens right in front of your eyes. And gee, nobody at wild animal control will help you. Sometimes that gets their attention.