Fall brooding? Story and questions

[SueT]

Really no easy answer on this huh?
Does mama seem to be looking for him?

No, but he's looking for her....

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I say give it a shot.... if it seems he needs her... might wanna give it a go..... she's already taking care of the 2nd one right?

 

[SueT]

I say give it a shot.... if it seems he needs her... might wanna give it a go..... she's already taking care of the 2nd one right?

Okay I did it, put the cheeping chick in the nest and she tucked it right in and settled down over it no problem!
She was a bit alarmed at me reaching in, I think/hope all is forgiven.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Okay I did it, put the cheeping chick in the nest and she tucked it right in and settled down over it no problem!
She was a bit alarmed at me reaching in, but we are good friends, she and I, and I think all is forgiven.

HELLZ yeah!!!!

 

[SueT]

It didn't turn out so well. Every time I checked on them it seemed fine, but just a little while ago, I went out and found a dead chick next to mama. Probably the orphan. It had no obvious injuries. The other chick is active and walking well, but whenever it emerges, she pecks it and makes it go back under her.
There's still an unmatched egg, I glimpsed it when she raised up to let baby go under.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

It didn't turn out so well. Every time I checked on them it seemed fine, but just a little while ago, I went out and found a dead chick next to mama. Probably the orphan. It had no obvious injuries. The other chick is active and walking well, but whenever it emerges, she pecks it and makes it go back under her. IS THIS OKAY? Should I remove it? Circumstantial evidence would point to mama may have killed the chick after all....
There's still an unmatched egg, I glimpsed it when she raised up to let baby go under.

I suggest you start a new thread with this information. This totally SUCKS about Shack though.

 

[CelticArche]

It didn't turn out so well. Every time I checked on them it seemed fine, but just a little while ago, I went out and found a dead chick next to mama. Probably the orphan. It had no obvious injuries. The other chick is active and walking well, but whenever it emerges, she pecks it and makes it go back under her. IS THIS OKAY? Should I remove it? Circumstantial evidence would point to mama may have killed the chick after all....
There's still an unmatched egg, I glimpsed it when she raised up to let baby go under.

Oh no! Will you be having a chick funeral? I exasperate people by insisting on burying my chickens. And the turkey pullets my uncle lost last summer. And pretty much any bird that dies.

 

[MotherHen2017]

This has been awesome reading! I've had a busy week and haven't had time to reply to anything! But I'm loving hearing the stories and seeing the photos and video. Thanks for all the help and information.

Long story short, on this end my first mama hen is doing fantastic with her chicks.

Hen#2 that we set took off on hatch day and sadly neither of her chicks survived.

Broody #3 is going to remain cranky because I'm not going to set her. She's the same breed as #2 and I'm not taking the chance of her taking off as well.

So for the time being we have 3 adorable 4 week old chicks. I'm not sure but it's looking like they're 2 girls and a boy.

 

[SueT]

Well, sometime during the afternoon of day 2, the surviving baby disappeared. Mama had seemed to be taking good care of it and I was checking often. Then there was a commotion, I ran out, and broody was off the nest, baby nowhere to be seen. I searched for clues to no avail.

I really believe in letting broody raise chicks in the flock, and mama wasn't going to have it any other way, but I suspect those greedy pushy leghorn pullets, the way they were nosing around the area. The two older hens had been sent out to free range, so they’re off the hook. Maybe it was a snake. Oh well, I just don’t know. She was too young and inexperienced, I am too old and inexperienced. I candled the remaining egg, it hadn’t developed and I tossed it. Mama returned to nest, looked around and around, and then it was as if she just woke up from a dream…..and she went out in run and joined the flock. And that’s all I can say….

 

[MotherHen2017]

Oh SueT I'm so sorry to hear this! Whatever it was that happened nature can be so cruel sometimes.