Good Grief!

[Blisschick]

I've had a bantam beat my barnyard record -- 10 chicks, with 4 eggs to go! She's a Serama x Cochin -- can't beat that for a broody!

She's been in our garden for the past three weeks, tucked under a tent of old grass and weedcloth. She hasn't come out but once or twice, dedicating herself to her eggs. I've been worried the past 4 days because it's been cold and rainy and I knew the eggs were due to hatch any time now. I went out yesterday and nearly lost my boots in the mud to check on her, but nothing had happened, so I checked again today, and there they were! I took her and the babies out of the wet nest and put them in a box of shavings to be here in the house. One chick was shoved to the very edge of the nest and was so cold it was almost dead, but I warmed it up with a heating pad and it's good as new now.

Of the 4 remaining eggs, one is pipped, but I heard peeping coming from the others. If all hatch, she'll have a 100% hatch rate! (If I could only do as well.

)

 

[Mahonri]

Wow. what a great broody! Wanna send her to Phoenix?

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Oh you need to get the camera out. We need pics. How sweet. Go mama

 

[Blisschick]

No way! This was her very first nest. I don't think she's even a year old yet. Her mother Serama Mama is a very good mother, too. The girl has earned her place here!

 

[Blisschick]

Quote:
I'd do it if I didn't think she'd eat my arm off. She's not showing the babies to anyone right now. I'm still trying to figure out how she's stuffing all of them underneath her.

 

[chickensioux]

Congrats to you and her!!!!!

 

[Blisschick]

It ended up that one of the eggs was bad, and one unzipped last night, but didn't make it out the shell, so it died. That leaves her with 12 chicks, which I think it more than enough for any one hen.

 

[speckledhen]

That's so sweet! I have my youngest Buff Orp girl, Nugget, in the middle of Day 20 right now and it's raining, so I dont trust myself to walk out (recently broken ankle) in the mud to check on her. Have to rely on DH to check. She moved the eggs off the nest yesterday and into the shavings on the floor, then she moved them yet again. Not sure what that's about, but my older Buff Orp girl did the same thing on Day 20. They must be pipping right now, if not some already hatched.
I'm glad nothing got your girl while she was sitting! Congrats.

 

[Blisschick]

My girl was very, very insistent on keeping those extra eggs under her. She threw a fit when I had lifted her up a few times to check on the status of hatched ones and whether or not the other two had pipped. She didn't care about stuffing all the chicks back under her, just those eggs. After that, I left her alone, so I'm not sure why the last egg didn't make it. I had a turkey the same thing happened to.

I was really pleased she decided to nest where she did, because we have the garden fenced with chain-link and she was a couple of feet in from it, so she was basically undetectable to any predators. Smart move on her part. I wish they were all that smart.