@tommysgirl Yes, I have heard about moving stress causing illness to surface too, but I imagine it would have to be there to surface in the first place... So either I'm very unlucky or people selling at this monthly fair are less than honest and choose weaker ones, I don't know. (This is the 3rd time it happens with a hen bought there.)
You're lucky to have the breeder near by! I guess I'll have to stick to hatching my own, and shipped eggs for hard to find breeds.
I am sorry to hear about all the drama! Glad that Gracie Belle will still have babies, the poor thing went through all that trouble for nothing last time! It seems to be the bad communication vibe is in the air... I haven't heard back from my potential egg source either and getting antsy.
Yay for the chick ( or is it chicks plural by now?) and congratulations to Theresa!
@Mistymountain Phew, so relieved to hear Chica is all better, have been keeping my fingers crossed!
@Teila
I would be okay with blurry Blondie pics if that's all you can get!
Did you mean my blue-red pretty boy? That's the one I had no doubts on since hatch. His crest base was bright yellow the day he hatched, and the behavior has always been rooish, more and more so as he grew... And of course with that bright red comb, there can be no doubts now. It's the white ones I was uncertain on, there are three, all very similar, one a bit bigger with a brighter comb.... ETA - just realized my earlier hoping for a hen comment was confusing, I meant the white one on the right side of the photo... No illusions on the pretty boy!
But I said was for a reason - yesterday I saw the bigger one try (very clumsily) to do the deed with both of the smaller white ones... (Not at the same time, lol!) So unless they are confused about their identity, that gives us one more roo and two more hens. As soon as Ombretta is done been a mom, I'll have to rehome... Too many Roos, considering I want to keep some from the new hatch. ( though I might keep the blue-red boy, too pretty, and love the potential of the silkie Cochin combo)
And yeah I really did all I could with Isabel, but sometimes not knowing exact causes it might be worse to do something than do nothing... I just don't know. All I know is no more grown hens bought at the fair for me! But glad that Pallina at least is ok... Which I guess proves it wasn't anything contagious, but on digestive level... Sigh.
I loved that cartoon!!!
@Farmer Viola hi, welcome to the team! I think that you should be able to see whether your hen can cover 12 eggs comfortably - I.e. If none are sticking out and she isn't adjusting things constantly, you are good to go. 12 sounds reasonable to me, but it always depends on the hen. Great idea to test with fake ones first!
I very much doubt she would kill the chicks... I know there are things you can read about that sort of thing, but I honestly think that's 0.01% of all broodies that might do that. The broody instinct is usually to protect them, even if they had never done it before. Did you see my Bonnie a few posts back with 13 chicks? She is a first time broody too, and those didn't even hatch under her, but in the bator, yet she took them all under her wing.
If you are really worried, try to time it so you can be around on the day they hatch and watch/listen for anything unusual... But I really doubt you have anything to worry about, those that go broody so early are generally great moms! In any case, best of luck and keep us posted!
