Broody Hen - You'll like this story

[robin416]

A couple of weeks ago I brought a broody in setting on a single egg. Why? Because I had a bird that was sick and I didn't want her to be completely alone.

So, a week goes by and the girl hatches out her single egg. She's proving to be a very good Momma with her first ever little one. Then the fun starts, the eggs in the hatcher begin to hatch. I noticed the hen's aggitation but I couldn't find the reason. Not until I began to put the new hatchlings in their brooder then the hen went wild. She hopped out of the cage where she has her single chick, hustled over to the brooder and started trying to figure out how to get to "her" peeps. Then the single started calling for its Momma, she hustles back to reassure her first born. Then she hops back out to answer the call of the newly hatched.

What could I do? I gave her the new peeps and watched closely since they are so much younger than the first hatched. She's done an awesome job so far and everything is quiet once again and she's happy.

 

[mudhen]

aaww, what a good mom!

 

[Hotwings]

You got a really nice hen there. What kind of breed is she?

 

[robin416]

Most know that my addiction is to Silkies. This one happens to be from Satin Silkies, Judy Reed in PA. She's a gorgeous little girl and has been special from the time she hatched last March.

 

[bigzio]

robin416, A good broody mother hen is priceless. You are lucky to have one.

Watching her with the baby peeps is too much fun!

bigzio

 

[robin416]

Silkies are great Moms. But now I'm stuck with all of these birds in my computer room until the weather figures out what the heck its going to do. I've even still got the sick bird in here. She's gone back out to the coop once but then quit eating and drinking so back in here she came.

Did I mention all of the eggs still in the incubator? This room is going to be mighty cramped in here in a few days.

 

[eggchel]

LOL, broody hens are notorious for their inability to count. She may have only been sitting on one egg, but in her mind, all chicks within earshot must be hers. How many did she end up with?


chel

 

[robin416]

The final count is 7 including the one she hatched. I hope she doesn't want these others too because the cage she's in wasn't meant for a hen with a whole passel of chicks.

 

[teutschb]

What a good hen! The chicks will be happier! My hen did that too. She hatched 2 and one died. I had another batch hatched in the incubator with some duck eggs. She ended up being a mommy to all of them. All 12. She was a happy hen too!! The ducks didn't care and neither did she! Good Luck with you new chicks!!

 

[Leghorn_Eddie]

Those Silkies are so nimble compared to my Buff Brahma standards who I used to let go broody. She was so heavy the chicks had to watch her every step LOL.