- Sep 9, 2014
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Hi. Wanted to report something, and see if it's perhaps common... or not, or what experiences others have had.
Our Buff Orpington hen went broody - again, this last month, and her chicks all hatched yesterday.
She was sitting on four. The reason for this thread, is that about a week ago, I picked her up, to try to make her eat and poop, because she had not been up in a few days, and, like she's done before, she picked up an egg with her foot when I lifted her. She dropped it when I set her down on the concrete floor, and it cracked, just a little dent, near the small end of the egg.
Well, I was devastated, because she'd done this before, and I thought I'd looked to make sure she didn't have anything in her feet. I missed it! How could I have done that again?!
But I wondered, maybe it's not lost yet! Hubby and I didn't have the heart to destroy it yet, and we didn't have time to come here an post the question, we've been so busy lately, so we put it back under her. Decided we'd wait and see, if it didn't hatch when the others did, we'd destroy it then. I didn't pick up momma again. We brought food and water to her.
All four hatched! So.... A week from hatching, chick survived being dropped onto concrete and cracking the egg. I don't advise doing this, but it's good to know in case it ever happens again.
Our Buff Orpington hen went broody - again, this last month, and her chicks all hatched yesterday.
She was sitting on four. The reason for this thread, is that about a week ago, I picked her up, to try to make her eat and poop, because she had not been up in a few days, and, like she's done before, she picked up an egg with her foot when I lifted her. She dropped it when I set her down on the concrete floor, and it cracked, just a little dent, near the small end of the egg.
Well, I was devastated, because she'd done this before, and I thought I'd looked to make sure she didn't have anything in her feet. I missed it! How could I have done that again?!
But I wondered, maybe it's not lost yet! Hubby and I didn't have the heart to destroy it yet, and we didn't have time to come here an post the question, we've been so busy lately, so we put it back under her. Decided we'd wait and see, if it didn't hatch when the others did, we'd destroy it then. I didn't pick up momma again. We brought food and water to her.
All four hatched! So.... A week from hatching, chick survived being dropped onto concrete and cracking the egg. I don't advise doing this, but it's good to know in case it ever happens again.
