Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

Okay guys, this is why y'all read so many people preaching about keeping your flock safe. What you are looking at here is my chicken tractor. I let my 2 spare roosters out in it during the day and I was thinking about putting my broody and her 8 babies in it for a day until I had an instance of one of the roosters loosing his tail feathers to some predator and lately, the bowl of feed I put out for the roosters coming up missing over night when the tractor is vacant.

Up goes Mr. Game camera and bingo, here is what we saw. We think they tried to reach into the little coop via a window and snatch a rooster for dinner.


The tractor is made out of an aluminum frame covered with chicken wire as we never planned for birds to be kept in it overnight. It's not real light but it is cumbersome to move around.The corner nearest the little raccoon is where they dug UNDER the tractor and were able to slide under the frame work.

Never underestimate raccoons.

Tonight the live trap goes out and the raccoons are going....well, they are just going.

Good job of finding those coons in your tractor. That game cam is a great thing to have on hand for some detective work.

Bye bye coons

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

On Sunday, while Hubby and youngest daughter were at the ballgame to celebrate her 9th Birthday. My oldest daughter and I started to check the remaining eggs under Lollie. This being day 22, and the first two chicks hatched on day 18, 2 eggs, no sound no movement, nothing visible using a light source. egg #3, cheep cheep cheep, and was pipped, but no zip. Peeled back some shell, and the membrane is dry (mamma had kicked an egg out on Friday, there was a pip, but the egg was cold.) Peeled back and chick had passed, beak was no where near the pip.
So I continued to help chick # 3 out of it's shell, used a soft paint brush and the heat lamp to fluff it's feathers. She was very lethargic, was not sure if she would make it till morning. Stayed up till 4:30 am, listening for the peeps. Put her in a Krispy Kream hat, with those ultra soft car drying towels. Still cheeping when I got up at 6:30, got her first car ride that day, and noticed splayed legs, got a new box of band-aids, and taped her legs. Today, she got another car ride, practiced her walking, ate some chick starter mush and drank water, and took a nap. Went to my daughter's well check appointment, and to Taco Casa for lunch.
When we got home, I gathered up her two siblings (who are still with Mama) to see how they would be with each other. They had a wonderful time on the bathroom floor, a big difference 4 days makes, between hatching time almost twice the chick size. All Stormy wanted to do was snuggle under her siblings. Midnight & Starlight were very well behaved, no pecking or poking of their younger sibling. Midnight gave Stormy lessons on eating hard chick start.
As you can see, Stormy still wears her leg braces, and is standing quite tall, and is walking better. Not as much tipping, unless she goes too fast. Will now eat her mush off the spoon, and also her water. Will do more sibling bonding time again tomorrow, Stormy gets another car ride tomorrow too. Still do not want to let her by herself, till I know she is completely stable on her legs.
Mama may not be with her chicks much longer, she is moving around a lot, and we have sent her out to get fresh air away from the babies. My youngest is worried, the "Boys" will be over excited to see her, and pull out her feathers, like they did with Ramin. And Ramin shows no interest in re-joining the flock, and her chicks will be 2 months old next week. The "Boys" are watching her though.

 

[BullChick]

 

[microchick]

1 raccoon down, 1 to go. I caught the smaller of the two raccoons last night and just dispatched it. Tonight I try for the larger of the two unless more show up on our game camera. It wasn't easy to do. I just kept thinking of all the recounts I have read here about mangled birds from raccoon attacks and it made it a little easier.

Around where we live you are pretty much on your own when it comes to dealing with nuisance animals. We were once told about a near by resident that called the county sheriff due to a complaint he had about a neighbors goat that kept coming on his property and destroying plants.

When the Sheriff arrived they told him what was happening and the sheriff said 'You called me for THAT? THAT is farmer business and you best settle it between yourselves.'

So tonight the game camera goes back up, the trap gets set and the rifle is sitting by the door.

Mommy 2 Wee Ones, those chicks are adorable. I love that you carried one around with you all day....in a hat! Good Job!

 

[BullChick]

1 raccoon down, 1 to go. I caught the smaller of the two raccoons last night and just dispatched it. Tonight I try for the larger of the two unless more show up on our game camera. It wasn't easy to do. I just kept thinking of all the recounts I have read here about mangled birds from raccoon attacks and it made it a little easier.

Around where we live you are pretty much on your own when it comes to dealing with nuisance animals. We were once told about a near by resident that called the county sheriff due to a complaint he had about a neighbors goat that kept coming on his property and destroying plants.

When the Sheriff arrived they told him what was happening and the sheriff said 'You called me for THAT? THAT is farmer business and you best settle it between yourselves.'

So tonight the game camera goes back up, the trap gets set and the rifle is sitting by the door.

Mommy 2 Wee Ones, those chicks are adorable. I love that you carried one around with you all day....in a hat! Good Job!

Sounds like the Pennsylvania police. Then you deal with it, and get arrested.

 

[microchick]

I hear you Motorcyclechick. My dad was born in Reading. Pennsylvania Dutch through and through.

 

[RachaelR32]

My broody hatched out 4 of her 12 eggs. Not a great hatch rate since they had all been developing. She ate 4 of the eggs and some got a bit delayed as she pushed them out of the nest and they got cold. So she abandoned a load of fully formed chicks, some of which had pipped, but she only sat for one day after the first hatched.

She was not at all happy to be confined with the chicks so she has been out with them since day 3. The big girls seem ok with them. The 5 week old chicks are also out as well now and everyone seems to be getting along ok. I'm concerned she'll loose one to crows or something, but she was going to trample them if she wasn't let out as she was very distressed at being confined.

 

[BullChick]

I hear you Motorcyclechick. My dad was born in Reading. Pennsylvania Dutch through and through.

Mine too.

My broody hatched out 4 of her 12 eggs. Not a great hatch rate since they had all been developing. She ate 4 of the eggs and some got a bit delayed as she pushed them out of the nest and they got cold. So she abandoned a load of fully formed chicks, some of which had pipped, but she only sat for one day after the first hatched.

She was not at all happy to be confined with the chicks so she has been out with them since day 3. The big girls seem ok with them. The 5 week old chicks are also out as well now and everyone seems to be getting along ok. I'm concerned she'll loose one to crows or something, but she was going to trample them if she wasn't let out as she was very distressed at being confined.

Sorry she dudn't do well. She might do excellent her second hatch. Don't give up on her if she goes broody a second time.

 

[16 paws]

On Sunday, while Hubby and youngest daughter were at the ballgame to celebrate her 9th Birthday. My oldest daughter and I started to check the remaining eggs under Lollie. This being day 22, and the first two chicks hatched on day 18, 2 eggs, no sound no movement, nothing visible using a light source. egg #3, cheep cheep cheep, and was pipped, but no zip. Peeled back some shell, and the membrane is dry (mamma had kicked an egg out on Friday, there was a pip, but the egg was cold.) Peeled back and chick had passed, beak was no where near the pip.
So I continued to help chick # 3 out of it's shell, used a soft paint brush and the heat lamp to fluff it's feathers. She was very lethargic, was not sure if she would make it till morning. Stayed up till 4:30 am, listening for the peeps. Put her in a Krispy Kream hat, with those ultra soft car drying towels. Still cheeping when I got up at 6:30, got her first car ride that day, and noticed splayed legs, got a new box of band-aids, and taped her legs. Today, she got another car ride, practiced her walking, ate some chick starter mush and drank water, and took a nap. Went to my daughter's well check appointment, and to Taco Casa for lunch.
When we got home, I gathered up her two siblings (who are still with Mama) to see how they would be with each other. They had a wonderful time on the bathroom floor, a big difference 4 days makes, between hatching time almost twice the chick size. All Stormy wanted to do was snuggle under her siblings. Midnight & Starlight were very well behaved, no pecking or poking of their younger sibling. Midnight gave Stormy lessons on eating hard chick start.
As you can see, Stormy still wears her leg braces, and is standing quite tall, and is walking better. Not as much tipping, unless she goes too fast. Will now eat her mush off the spoon, and also her water. Will do more sibling bonding time again tomorrow, Stormy gets another car ride tomorrow too. Still do not want to let her by herself, till I know she is completely stable on her legs.
Mama may not be with her chicks much longer, she is moving around a lot, and we have sent her out to get fresh air away from the babies. My youngest is worried, the "Boys" will be over excited to see her, and pull out her feathers, like they did with Ramin. And Ramin shows no interest in re-joining the flock, and her chicks will be 2 months old next week. The "Boys" are watching her though.

That is the cutest thing ever. How did she like the car rides?

Sounds like the Pennsylvania police. Then you deal with it, and get arrested.

Aint that the truth....

 

[GLStrub]

I have had hens and roosters a couple years but have been winging it. I need to get educated. We have tried an incubator but they never hatch. I had 2 roosters but now I am down to 1, thankfully. Not sure what "broody" means. I have some hens that I don't even think have laid any eggs. Not sure how to tell. Need to get rid of those. We tried leaving the egs in the hen house but still nothing has hatched. Need advise. We are just not getting this.