It's been one of those days.
My mama Serama had been sitting on five eggs for nearly three weeks in a cage in the workshop. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that she had one cheepy under her. I debated bringing it in the house, but I really wanted to let her raise this clutch, so I left it with her. I checked on her again about 7:30 this morning, and she had three little fuzzy butts with her then. Some time between then, and about noon, when I checked again, something went horribly wrong. I found yesterday's chick expiring, one from this morning cold, barely moving or breathing, and the two remaining eggs very cold to the touch. Believing that "they ain't dead until they're warm and dead," I rushed the chicks and the eggs into my incubator. Sadly, I was too late to save the first chick.
The other two warmed up, and are cheeping and lively and full of themselves.
The eggs had both pipped; one has since hatched.
Still waiting on the last egg, which is cheeping.
I put the hen in a tote in the living room while I tried to save her family. She is still there, and seems a bit put out by this whole business. We put one chick in with her for a while, though he tried to burrow into her feathers, the hen seemed totally disinterested. I have noticed that she doesn't seem to deal well with being "messed about" (she abandoned some eggs when I moved her once before). After she worked so hard brooding them, I'd like to give her the chance to mother these chicks, but now I'm not so sure. On the one hand, I feel like, this is just a dumb cluck that has messed up by letting her clutch get cold. On the other hand, she was such a faithful broody; she has earned a chance at motherhood. Is she even likely to take them back after all this?
My mama Serama had been sitting on five eggs for nearly three weeks in a cage in the workshop. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that she had one cheepy under her. I debated bringing it in the house, but I really wanted to let her raise this clutch, so I left it with her. I checked on her again about 7:30 this morning, and she had three little fuzzy butts with her then. Some time between then, and about noon, when I checked again, something went horribly wrong. I found yesterday's chick expiring, one from this morning cold, barely moving or breathing, and the two remaining eggs very cold to the touch. Believing that "they ain't dead until they're warm and dead," I rushed the chicks and the eggs into my incubator. Sadly, I was too late to save the first chick.
I put the hen in a tote in the living room while I tried to save her family. She is still there, and seems a bit put out by this whole business. We put one chick in with her for a while, though he tried to burrow into her feathers, the hen seemed totally disinterested. I have noticed that she doesn't seem to deal well with being "messed about" (she abandoned some eggs when I moved her once before). After she worked so hard brooding them, I'd like to give her the chance to mother these chicks, but now I'm not so sure. On the one hand, I feel like, this is just a dumb cluck that has messed up by letting her clutch get cold. On the other hand, she was such a faithful broody; she has earned a chance at motherhood. Is she even likely to take them back after all this?
