I think I have a broody!

[aart]

she was very unhappy when I sold 8 of them.

Did I miss that part of the thread?
When did you sell them(days old) and how did she react?

 

[ackie]

Did I miss that part of the thread?
When did you sell them(days old) and how did she react?

I might not have posted it here. Nov 25th. She was off the nest and out and about on Nov 19th. So if the first day off the nest is day 1, then 6 days old.

She was just grumpy. She didnt stop taking care of the others or anything drastic. Just you could see she was like...there are supposed to be more of these.

 

[BDutch]

I might not have posted it here. Nov 25th. She was off the nest and out and about on Nov 19th. So if the first day off the nest is day 1, then 6 days old.

She was just grumpy. She didnt stop taking care of the others or anything drastic. Just you could see she was like...there are supposed to be more of these.

Maybe she was grieving and not just a bit grumpy. I feel sorry for mother hen loosing so many chicks at once. Personally I would use an incubator if I wanted to sell week old chicks.

 

[ackie]

Realistically she is too small to keep 13 of them warm in colder weather and 5 is much more manageable for her to wrangle and not have any picked off.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Currently trying to determine if this bird

Exhibit A: momma hen


is the same bird as

Exhibit B: Broody hen


obviously they're very close lolol

It might be a diff hen, idk, it lokks like there are more black markings on mama then the other one?

 

[ackie]

It might be a diff hen, idk, it lokks like there are more black markings on mama then the other one?

I decided they were the same hen. Close enough and (if they werent the same) the other hen never showed back up.

 

[aart]

Maybe she was grieving and not just a bit grumpy. I feel sorry for mother hen loosing so many chicks at once.

But chickens don't think like that....any change in a flock can cause some confusion.
Going from 13 to 5 is big change.

Realistically she is too small to keep 13 of them warm in colder weather and 5 is much more manageable for her to wrangle and not have any picked off.

Good Call!
How long did it take her to 'calm down'?

 

[ackie]

Good Call!
How long did it take her to 'calm down'?

Honestly she was never thrilled about me being near her chicks in the first place (good momma instincts!) so maybe I'm just applying human emotions to her.

 

[ackie]

She is in the same spot again tonight. I saw 2 little chick faces peeking out from under her so I assume shes got them all. I shut her in again. (not predator proof to anything that can get through a hole the size of a playing card but coyote, cat and dog safe.) She and the babies have already discovered that my housemate will scatter birdseed every day for them. When I saw them this morning, they were sticking close to their sleep spot, but that means they did do a little adventuring yay! Also i saw the babies fly, just across the driveway. it was precious.

 

[aart]

Honestly she was never thrilled about me being near her chicks in the first place

The broodies I've had were pretty calm(after my efforts to acclimate them to my attentions) while setting.....but ....the BroodyFierce sure came out big time after the chicks hatched. Only 1 of maybe 6 would let me handle her chicks without trouble.