we shall see if i have a great hunch or should be put away for further endangering a critically endangered breed.
just put six black java chicks under a big old fluffy-butt black java hen that was acting weird and sitting in the nest box when i went to put up birds tonight.
i thought she was going broody. knew it was not "long enough" to be broody to give her chicks but dang if i don't want to have a mama raise these day olds for us. hell, half of them are actually hers and the other three are her sister's babies.
anyway, i noted that she was in the nest box acting strange, and went in and got my day olds from the brooder. went back out and found she had laid an egg. had been trapped in the garden most of the day and couldn't get to the nest box and held it i guess. anyway, i gave her the babies and she spread her wings and took them under her. i sat with her for 40 minutes and she looks serious about it. it is full dark out. i went and checked again and no issues. she's spread out over them like a tank.
gonna go out and check heavy early in the morning; sit down there with my coffee, etc. just in case. when do they actually wake up enough to notice the chicks under them anyway?
she's never been broody before. i feel crazy for giving it a shot but i think they'll be safe during the night, and i can always save them if need be in the morning.
anybody else done this with success? or...failure and carnage in the a.m. after a hen took them at night no problem?
i just wonder if her taking them through the night means she is more likely to adopt them come morning, despite not actually being broody...could create a hormone shift...
just put six black java chicks under a big old fluffy-butt black java hen that was acting weird and sitting in the nest box when i went to put up birds tonight.
i thought she was going broody. knew it was not "long enough" to be broody to give her chicks but dang if i don't want to have a mama raise these day olds for us. hell, half of them are actually hers and the other three are her sister's babies.
anyway, i noted that she was in the nest box acting strange, and went in and got my day olds from the brooder. went back out and found she had laid an egg. had been trapped in the garden most of the day and couldn't get to the nest box and held it i guess. anyway, i gave her the babies and she spread her wings and took them under her. i sat with her for 40 minutes and she looks serious about it. it is full dark out. i went and checked again and no issues. she's spread out over them like a tank.
gonna go out and check heavy early in the morning; sit down there with my coffee, etc. just in case. when do they actually wake up enough to notice the chicks under them anyway?
she's never been broody before. i feel crazy for giving it a shot but i think they'll be safe during the night, and i can always save them if need be in the morning.
anybody else done this with success? or...failure and carnage in the a.m. after a hen took them at night no problem?
i just wonder if her taking them through the night means she is more likely to adopt them come morning, despite not actually being broody...could create a hormone shift...
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