Hen sitting for 10 days and moved to different nesting box with no eggs...

[ducklover128]

Is there anything I can do or should do or shouldn't do? I'm so worried about the little baby. I don't even know if it's still attached to some shell or not. I have no experience with this. This is our first chicken to hatch any babies. I already almost killed one

Sorry, I'm shaking really bad and hit the send button on accident. When I went to catch the babies to get her to follow me back into the coop, one got caught in the fence, and when I went to try and help it, the fence (chain link) kinda smashed together and the little baby was stuck. I had to put my fingers in the fence and push it back open to get the baby out. . I'm afraid to do anything, I don't wanna hurt anybody else. I just feel like if I don't do something, the baby will die.

 

[Perris]

My advice is to let the broody make the decisions about how to raise her chicks; she knows this stuff instinctively, and you don't. Just provide the family with good food, clean water, dry shelter, and let her do the rest, including deciding on when to take the kids to bed. Try to give her more credit for knowing what she is doing, and take a step back and relax for your own sake. Having a broody and chicks is a wonderful experience to watch, if you can relinquish the sense that you are responsible for everything. Let it be. There may be casualties along the way, but chances are, you couldn't prevent or fix them no matter how much you wanted to. And by intervening, you can create problems, as with the fence. It's a learning curve for you both. There will be mishaps. Don't beat yourself or your broody up about it; just try to learn the lesson from it, then put it behind you. Trust her instincts; she has millions of years of evolution guiding her.

 

[ducklover128]

My advice is to let the broody make the decisions about how to raise her chicks; she knows this stuff instinctively, and you don't. Just provide the family with good food, clean water, dry shelter, and let her do the rest, including deciding on when to take the kids to bed. Try to give her more credit for knowing what she is doing, and take a step back and relax for your own sake. Having a broody and chicks is a wonderful experience to watch, if you can relinquish the sense that you are responsible for everything. Let it be. There may be casualties along the way, but chances are, you couldn't prevent or fix them no matter how much you wanted to. And by intervening, you can create problems, as with the fence. It's a learning curve for you both. There will be mishaps. Don't beat yourself or your broody up about it; just try to learn the lesson from it, then put it behind you. Trust her instincts; she has millions of years of evolution guiding h

I can't help but feel responsible for everything that happens. I try to let nature take it's course and stay out of their business as much as possible, even though I am not that good at it. I always tell the hens how pretty and smart they are, and id never think it was their fault for anything that happened, I seem to only blame myself since they seem to know exactly what's going on. And I've never had chicken babies this new before. These are our first little chicken babies that were hatched out here, so it's exciting, nerve wracking, but exciting. I appreciate your reply, and I really need to remember that they do have millions of years of experience, and I have a measly little 3 years. What would Perris do? Is gonna be my question to myself when I start questioning how can I help this chicken and her babies. That is extremely awesome advice. I'll never forget what you said. They have millions of years of evolution guiding them. And that I'm basically responsible for safe dry housing, food and clean water. That seems so much simpler than worrying about everything. I don't know why, but for some reason, what you said makes so much sense and it seems to have clicked in my over thinking, pain in the butt brain. People have told me I worry too much, and let them handle it, and it never made so much sense as how you said it just then. So, hopefully, this will be a huge lesson to me, and I can relax and really enjoy the flock more, instead of overthinking and worrying about every little thing. As long as I make sure they have the necessities, they will do the rest. I actually feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders....a little anyway. Thank you very much, and fingers crossed, things will be a little more relaxed and enjoyable. With all the issues and deaths we have had here recently, I was almost ready to throw in the towel and had already said I don't want any more babies, no egg sitting, no hatching, just let all the wonderful birds live their lives out here, and no more new ones or anything, but as I was saying that, I knew it would be impossible. I can't stop them Muscovies from hiding, nesting, sitting, hatching. It seems it would be cruel to keep them from doing what they want to do, and I can't be cruel. I try to let them do what they want to, just live and be happy and kinda free. I honestly think that your advice, was what I needed to hear. I need to stop blaming myself for everything, and understand that nature happens. I needed to somehow make sense of the fact that they know what they are doing.....and I don't. Now, fingers crossed, I remember it and can actually let go some and enjoy them more. P.s. 3 Muscovies recently came up with a total of almost 50 babies ....I was so conflicted. I was worried, but excited. Ive got to stop worrying so much and focus on what they actually need me for. 1. Safe dry housing 2. Fresh food 3. Water. They get those, but I need to relinquish the need to save everything when it's just not possible. Oh yeah, lol after the 3 came up with their 50 babies, we still have 3 more that should come rolling in any day now with babies, and another has been sitting for about 2 weeks now. . So who knows how many babies we will have in a month.