My baby chicks have feathers and are 4 weeks old. Momma is getting antsy to get out with the other hens and rooster and she laid an egg today so I plan to let her go with them tomorrow.
I have a hen that was broody all summer. I also took all the eggs away early in the day and she would sit on an empty nest. I got some fertilized eggs and 2 hatched yesterday. She still wont let them out from under her wings. I am afraid she wont let them eat or drink. Sorry about your momma hen.I had a hen go broody a couple years ago. This was supposed to be a breed that didn't go broody. In any case there was no rooster and I kept taking the eggs. She defiantly kept sitting on an empty nest. Finally I found a few fertilized eggs she hatched. She was the happiest hen around. She never "weaned" them though and they kept crawling under her at night. She unexpectedly died a few months after they were hatched. Here is a photo of this poor mama.
I had a hen go broody a couple years ago. This was supposed to be a breed that didn't go broody. In any case there was no rooster and I kept taking the eggs. She defiantly kept sitting on an empty nest. Finally I found a few fertilized eggs she hatched. She was the happiest hen around. She never "weaned" them though and they kept crawling under her at night. She unexpectedly died a few months after they were hatched. Here is a photo of this poor mama.
