Easter Egger?

[bhawk-23]

Ah, see in the beginning, I didn't plan on wanting my hens to go broody. So I got an EE and two Black Stars. I have two Sapphire Gems but I think I read they are a newer "breed" and can't find much on them going broody. But I do have one beautiful Silver-Laced Wyandotte. Poor baby is sick right now and isolated from sisters. But I am positive she will pull through and be my broody mama soon enough. Although, it would seem she is one the lower end of the pecking order.

I was told to never let the lowest hens raise babies. My Orpington was too hen and she was first to raise chicks. She was given respect and space. The Australorp was second in line and she was able to defend the chicks also. But both did endure some being chased off and they did to keep chicks safe. When they were done they are both upper mid range hens now. Unfortunately, I could not imagine allowing a low hen defend herself and chicks.

 

[CountingChickens]

What happened to her? Flystrike?

What is flystrike? I am not sure. I took her to the vet on Sunday. I saw her wheezing on Saturday afternoon and got VetRx for her, isolated her, all that jazz. The vet said that it wasn't a parasite and was either bacterial or viral. I think she drank some creek water possibly? They always run over there when I let them free-range and have to herd them away. That is why I never let go unsupervised! But some kind of illness got her. She is my spazzy Gabi, and super quick to misbehave lol.

Anyway, she was sneezing a lot that first night. But the vet gave me antibiotic doxyc... and her sneezing has ceased and she only wheezes when I try to give her her pill, which is most likely just her breathing heavier from someone opening her beak to shove something inside haha. But it all started on Saturday, so almost a week now and she seems to have gotten better. Her appetite and water-drinking are all normal along with her activity level.

 

[CountingChickens]

I was told to never let the lowest hens raise babies. My Orpington was too hen and she was first to raise chicks. She was given respect and space. The Australorp was second in line and she was able to defend the chicks also. But both did endure some being chased off and they did to keep chicks safe. When they were done they are both upper mid range hens now. Unfortunately, I could not imagine allowing a low hen defend herself and chicks.

Yep, that is what I was told on here in another thread I posted asking about it! Unfortunately, the sex links are the top "dogs" and I know those pretty much never go broody. Hence, wondering about the Sapphire Gems because they are middle. We have Elizabeth and Bricky which are the Sex Links and I really can't tell which one outranks the other but those two are definitely in charge. Then Grace, one of the Sapphire Gems is right there pecking and putting others in their place. So I'm hoping she goes broody in spring or summer.