Daughter found baby chicks today! *Updated pics*

[Mortimer]

I was out weeding the garden when my daugher came running, "Dad, there's baby chicks in the boat!"

"HUH? No way . . ." I thought . . . sure enough, one of the RIR's had TEN (I think) teensy baby chicks running around with her inside the boat! Will post pics when I can get her away from them, she's mothering them in her hidey hole right now. I was just in the boat Sunday getting some fishing gear, didn't even notice her back there behind the gas tank.

So funny how it worked out . . . I had 20 eggs in the bator, which I unfortunately got cooked when the temp spiked one day and only two were left alive. One of the Delawares went broody so I took the two remaining (on day 16) and put them under her, hoping she would hatch them out. Then I got a chickie surprise!

The question is what to do now? How will she feed and water them in there? Should I put a food & water bowl inside the boat? I think it's great we have a mother hen, but would rather not brood 10 chicks for a month inside the boat . . . man that would be a mess to cleanup later. How can I move them?

Her nest:


The boat:


Mama & chicks:

 

[annek]

How cute! Could you put them in a cage up there temporarily, then in a day or two move the cage down into the garage or where ever you need to go? You don't want them to live in the boat!

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
Agree & agree.
I HATE cleaning our boat & there's not even baby chick poo on it!

 

[Mortimer]

Well, I could makeshift up somewhere she could go, however I feel like we've just been struck with an "unplanned pregnancy" LOL

The partition we have setup in the coop currently has 7 5-week chicks in it, the other pen is currently occupied by ducks, and the barn has another broody sitting on 2 eggs at day 17. I suppose she could go in the barn with the broody, not sure if that would bother one or both of them. I'm afraid the broody might get upset.

Would it be easier to move her, and all the chicks, somewhere else at night? I could try and pickup her, the chicks, and all her old nesting material and move to a sheltered corner of the barn or something?

 

[Mortimer]

Sorry to *bump* so soon, but I really want to get her moved -- anyone have any experience with something like this? I think tonight after dark I'm going to try and move her.

 

[Mahonri]

When I was a kid we had a broody have chicks up inside an old combine. We just had to take her and the chicks out one by one (and the hen was NOT happy) and we put them in a nice sized box in the coop with food and water.

 

[wanda047]

If you had a dog crate or something similar that might work. Me... I'd be running to the hardware store and throwing something simple together to house Mom and babies. But that's me. I'm sorta crazy like that! That's why we have 5 chicken coops and another in the works.

What I want to know is... how did that hen sit all this time in your boat and you not miss her? I'm a chicken counter! I count chickens every night when I lock them up. If my count is off... the whole family is marched outside to locate the lost one!

 

[M@M@2four]

Oh my goodness!!! Thank God she found them!!!

Too funny!!!

 

[Mortimer]

Quote:
I know, I can't believe it myself! I used to count them every night, but laxed when we got to around 40 or so, some tend to go to bed later than the others and I got tired of counting 3 or 4 times just to make sure I got it right.

We had another hen go broody earlier this spring and tried so hard to get her to hatch a clutch . . . gave her her own place away from the others, fresh food & water . . . she gave up on day 16 or so and ate them all. Same problem with another one earlier this summer, just wasn't devoted enough.

I guess it's better when they just manage the whole setting part themselves, without me trying to help them along!

 

[my1stchicks]

Now that is adorable!!