Help I Have Chickens

[ShannonGG]

Hello my name is Shannon and I have recently moved to the florida area. There are wild chickens everywhere I have never seen anything like it. Well about two weeks ago I noticed a hen sitting on what i assumed where eggs. But the odd thing is it dosent appear as if she has moved at all not to eat or anything. We had terrible storms last week down here and I tried to take a couple of ieces of ply wood around her and and top of her so she would stay dry. SHe seems to like it because she still has not moved. My question is, is she sitting on eggs that are about to hatch or is that maybe just her nest? There are plenty of male roosters around but i dont see a particular one with her. I have also noticed a couple piles of abanded eggs in the back yard as well. Are these unfertilized eggs and do i just throw them away? Help I aim so confused I am a city girl and I have never delt with farm life. I did not know when i bought my house it came with its own wild live stock.

I dont mind the mom and chicks being there but is there anything special i need to do for them?

 

[SIMPleChick]

Oh wow! How exciting/different! I know that down where you live, they have spent years trying to round up all the wild chickens and roosters that have become a nuisance... My suggestion is...if you want them to stay and take up residence....more permanently...and invite more chickens and roosters over, then you can get feed for them and provide food and water. BUT if you don't want to be over run with wild chickens, then I suggest just leaving them to their wild ways...They have been finding food long before you came...Don't keep the old eggs, throw them out. They will probably spoil the longer they are there... Good luck!

 

[Sorin]

If she is trying to hatch the eggs she will only get off the eggs once a day for a few minutes to eat. You probably won't see any males around unless they are trying to mate her. If you want to help her, you can go to your local feed store or Tractor Supply Store and get her some food and put out water for her. Great idea putting the plywood around her for protection

. The eggs in your yard I would throw out, you don't know how long they have been there. If you can't get to a feed store, chickens will eat almost anything. Mine love greens like kale, cooked rice, fruit like chopped grapes and cantaloupe, even yogurt and oatmeal! That's very nice of you to try and help this girl out! Please ask if you have any more questions!

 

[ShannonGG]

thank you all so much for your help. I know absolutly nothing about chickens! In chicago they live on farms not in the subburbs. LOL I will keep you posted if we get baby chicks!!!

 

[Wildflower_VA]

When I moved to the Florida Keys, I had the opposite experience--a farm girl moving to where the wildlife was a reminder of home. I was glad to have my yard full of Ibis, which look a lot like chickens. I also had a muscovy duck that sat on at least 40 eggs for months at a time. None ever hatched.

 

[ShannonGG]

well i never thought that they might be something other then chickens. They look like chickens and sound like chickens. LOL

 

[lady feathers]

She is probably setting on some eggs and will be for some time.... she will only get up probably once a day for food, water, and to use the little hen's room. I agree pitch the other eggs who knows how long they hae been there... and they may attract predators near your broody hen. Food and water may keep her near, also you could think about spending some time at a respectable distance with her if you are hoping to adopt her and her babies (who knows she may stay wild-but she may also figure out you are a food/water source and that can be a good thing)!