Well last week a broody sex link hatched out 7 of 11 fertilized free range chicks for me. I also found out last week that my missing White Leghorn hen was sitting on a nest of 13 fertilized eggs. I posted on here asking about moving her and the consensus was to leave her be. I know that she is going on 3 weeks of brooding so I've been checking on here every afternoon. To make her less upset with my presence I've been taking her some feed and grain which she readily accepts out of my hand.
So on tonights feeding trip I detected a noticeable peep. It's going to be cold here tonight so I threw together another broody box and fetched her and the eggs into the garage under a heat lamp. I made a straw nest for her and set the eggs into it for her. It was hard to get all of the eggs in there with her trying to get back on the eggs. I hated to move them but I can only live and learn. At least she is dedicated to staying with them.
My assumption is that since the eggs were peeping that there is no way that she would abandon them now.
There is an odor coming from her and some of the eggs so I know that it won't be a 100% hatch but since it was her idea I'll defer to her natural extinct. Hopefully I'll have another good brood of chicks running around here in the next couple of days.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
So on tonights feeding trip I detected a noticeable peep. It's going to be cold here tonight so I threw together another broody box and fetched her and the eggs into the garage under a heat lamp. I made a straw nest for her and set the eggs into it for her. It was hard to get all of the eggs in there with her trying to get back on the eggs. I hated to move them but I can only live and learn. At least she is dedicated to staying with them.
My assumption is that since the eggs were peeping that there is no way that she would abandon them now.
There is an odor coming from her and some of the eggs so I know that it won't be a 100% hatch but since it was her idea I'll defer to her natural extinct. Hopefully I'll have another good brood of chicks running around here in the next couple of days.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
