Hen is gone without a trace!

[my1smthop]

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When you let her out did she come out and hang out with everyone else? or did she come out and eat a little, drink a little, poop a lot and get back on the nest?

Broodies usually only get off the nest once a day to eat, drink, poo and then they get back on the nest. Sleeping on the nest is a good sign she's broody.

What are you going to hatch?

She only comes out once a day, usually in the morning and then she's back on the nest. She sleeps there and is quite happy. I am going to hatch Austalorps! I'm tickled to death! I had purchase 3 Australorp hens, the Mom and 2 grown hens from a neighbor to put with my Rhode Island Reds. I had them for about four months and a racoon got in my pen and killed the Mom and one of the sisters before I could get to them. I cried my eyes out. BB (Black Beauty) is all I have left and I had wanted some for so long because the are just so sweet and beautiful. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will go well with BB and her eggs. My Reds don't really like her that well so she's kinda by herself. She is such a sweet girl she needs others like her. I'm so happy for her. I do want to move the dog house up closer to my house but I'm afraid to disrupt her and am afraid that the other hens will mess with her. I am in the process of building a new coop for them. 10 x 20 and I'm going to close off part of the back so her and the babies can stay in there and have room to live without being bothered. My rooster tries to get her back with the flock whenever he sees her out. Should I put food and water out there for her? I worry if I do she may not come out at all and I don't think that can be healthy.

 

[my1smthop]

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HUH-OH! I have the same set up but I put another 2 x4 across the bottom, nailed it in the ground and sat a concrete block on it to keep the other short 2x4's that are securing the door from moving. Perhaps I should just put a concrete block up on the door to keep it more secure.

I'm sorry about your drake. I bawl my eyes out anytime something happens to one of my girls. They are like my babies.

 

[my1smthop]

Well--she sat for 2 weeks. She started out with about 8 eggs and broke all but 2. I went out last night to close her up and she wasn't in the dog house and there were no eggs or signs of broken ones. ;(

I looked everywhere but it was dark. When I came back to the house there she was on my deck rail!

I don't know what happened to the eggs but I'm happy she is okay. She ran to my car when she saw me pull up this afternoon! She was hungry! She's back with the other girls and big daddy, so I guess she's over the broodiness.

Is it normal that the eggs break when it's their first time to be broodie??

I guess will try again when she decides to. How often does broodiness happen?? Do you think I could buy some chicks right now and give them to her or would she hurt them???