Broody Hen! :)

[Sophia101]

Well today when I let my (free range) chickens out of the coop one of them went RUNNING for the trees. I slowly and carefully as not to scare her followed her. She started digging next to a fallen tree and I walked over to see what she was doing and realized she was digging a small nest bigger. It already had three eggs in it. When I reached down to collect them she full blown attacked me (so bad that their was a large cut on my hand) I left her for a few hours expecting her to abandon them (like most of our hens do) and when I went back out she was still their. So we decided to let her have them and hope that they hatch. I think they've only been their a few days but I cant be sure. Any tips on how to make sure that they stay alive? When should I move them to her own maternity ward (as some people call it) The mother is an araucana and our only rooster is a little cochin bantam so they will look pretty cute. If they do hatch I will post tons of pictures.

 

[Judy]

If you leave her alone, chances are some will hatch and some not, because they weren't all incubated from the same day. When she decides she is through sitting and needs to take her chicks out, all you need to do is change your feed so everyone gets whatever you are feeding the chicks. of course the laying hens will also need oyster shell or some source of calcium. The flock can easily eat the starter or grower you feed the chicks. Even if you feed chick starter medicated with amprolium, you can still eat your eggs. You don't need to do anything but change feed at the appropriate time. Because she has raised the chicks in with the flock, they will already be an accepted part of the flock. Not sure what you mean b the maternity ward, unless you aare thinking of keeping the chicks, or mama and chicks, separate from the flock. There is really no need to do this.

If you were hatching out expensive eggs, you might want to take more precautions -- but this is the natural way of hatching and raising chicks, and it usually works out just fine..

 

[Sophia101]

A few nights ago when the chicks were supposedly going to hatch a wild animal came and ate the eggs. Their was blood everywhere so im assuming at least some of them were fertilized. Although my goose is laying on some duck eggs so maybe we will have a chance to try again.