DragonBearMomma
Songster
So, today is the 3rd day since my lowest-ranked hen, Emma, successfully hatched 3 eggs. A little background to segway to the reason for my question:
How it started: During the day they were hatching, I was battling to keep the "Head Hen" (Della) from physically snatching the pipped & partially hatched eggs, AND the newly hatched chick right out from under her. Prior to hatch day, Della would lay her egg in the same box as Emma, but would leave and let her be when she was done.
I ended up moving Emma & the gang into a dog kennel and kept them in my house overnight to make sure the last 2 eggs hatched properly. I'm actually quite surprised they made it, what with all the bumping and bouncing around that was happening before I even got there.
I moved Emma -- kennel & all -- onto the coop floor Friday morning, after I verified that we had 3, fluffy & active chicks. I left her locked in, with the mason jar waterer & feeder setup I had bought when I got her & her flock-mates last year, and a nice layer of pine shavings covered over with chopped straw, then opened up the coop and pen to the other inhabitants and watched. Seeing the strange new 'thing', they kept their distance. Except Della. She chatted indignantly as she made her way up into the nesting box that Emma had just vacated the day before. I checked in on them when I went out to administer bed-time snacks, and neither one of them had moved, but when I spoke to Emma, the 3 littles poked out their heads to investigate. The rest of the flock came in without any fuss and went straight to roost for the night.
Yesterday morning, I let everyone out, cleaned up night-poop, grabbed eggs from under Della (not hers, she hasn't laid since Wednesday) and physically picked her up and removed her from the coop, then opened Emma's kennel and closed the coop door. Della went off after the flock, Emma stayed put in the kennel, teaching the littles how to use the feeder & waterer.
About 35 minutes later, I noticed Emma out scratching around in the pen, with her littles running back and forth pecking at what she was revealing. I kept my eye on them periodically throughout the morning, and when I heard REALLY loud squeaking, I ran out to rescue one of them who had managed to squeeze itself through the chicken wire but couldn't get back in to 'Momma'. That's also when I noticed Della, puffed up like a beach ball, emitting vociferous dinosaur noises at the coop door (I'm assuming it was in response to a) me flying out the back door, and b) the chick's distress call). I picked her up -- she didn't fight me, just vocally protested -- and carried her to the front of the house to join the others.
Not 30 minutes later, Della and Mr. Peabody (the daddy) were at the chicken wire right where Emma was taking a break with the littles, not pecking at them, but puffed up and 'grumbling'. Emma was only slightly puffed up, but didn't move to get up or get between the littles and the big ones. I stayed outside for a good 30 minutes to monitor the situation. Mr. Peabody grew bored and went to join his other 2 ladies at the fence line, while Della de-fluffed but stood there staring at the littles for about a minute longer. Then, out of nowhere, she starts squawking and runs off to the others like something was chasing her. This happened a half-dozen times yesterday. No over-aggressive attacking, just fluffing, dino noises, then running around.
Bedtime routine was uneventful, if you don't count trying to get Emma and the littles into the kennel before opening the coop to the 'grownups'.
Today, Della has been camping out around the perimeter of the coop, spending less time foraging than yesterday, and re-situating herself every time Emma moves somewhere else in the coop. Once in a while, if Emma gets close enough, she poofs up & dino-yells, but doesn't actually get up until Emma moves off to where Della can't see her. Mr. Peabody has done the fluff/dance/growl thing again when he's close to where Emma and the littles are, but, with him being a White-Crested Polish, I can tell if he's looking at Emma and wanting her "back in the rotation" so to speak, or trying to figure out WHAT those little things are, or he knows and is introducing himself. Otherwise, he's off with the other 2 girls.
What's going on with my chickens? Does anything point to devastation when I reintegrate Emma with the chicks? I was planning on doing it next weekend. Should I wait until there's zero reaction from Della & Mr. Peabody? If I let Della go full-on broody, at least until Emma's back with the gang, will she try to hurt or steal the littles when she DOES come off the nest for breaks?
I'm stumped.
How it started: During the day they were hatching, I was battling to keep the "Head Hen" (Della) from physically snatching the pipped & partially hatched eggs, AND the newly hatched chick right out from under her. Prior to hatch day, Della would lay her egg in the same box as Emma, but would leave and let her be when she was done.
I ended up moving Emma & the gang into a dog kennel and kept them in my house overnight to make sure the last 2 eggs hatched properly. I'm actually quite surprised they made it, what with all the bumping and bouncing around that was happening before I even got there.I moved Emma -- kennel & all -- onto the coop floor Friday morning, after I verified that we had 3, fluffy & active chicks. I left her locked in, with the mason jar waterer & feeder setup I had bought when I got her & her flock-mates last year, and a nice layer of pine shavings covered over with chopped straw, then opened up the coop and pen to the other inhabitants and watched. Seeing the strange new 'thing', they kept their distance. Except Della. She chatted indignantly as she made her way up into the nesting box that Emma had just vacated the day before. I checked in on them when I went out to administer bed-time snacks, and neither one of them had moved, but when I spoke to Emma, the 3 littles poked out their heads to investigate. The rest of the flock came in without any fuss and went straight to roost for the night.
Yesterday morning, I let everyone out, cleaned up night-poop, grabbed eggs from under Della (not hers, she hasn't laid since Wednesday) and physically picked her up and removed her from the coop, then opened Emma's kennel and closed the coop door. Della went off after the flock, Emma stayed put in the kennel, teaching the littles how to use the feeder & waterer.
About 35 minutes later, I noticed Emma out scratching around in the pen, with her littles running back and forth pecking at what she was revealing. I kept my eye on them periodically throughout the morning, and when I heard REALLY loud squeaking, I ran out to rescue one of them who had managed to squeeze itself through the chicken wire but couldn't get back in to 'Momma'. That's also when I noticed Della, puffed up like a beach ball, emitting vociferous dinosaur noises at the coop door (I'm assuming it was in response to a) me flying out the back door, and b) the chick's distress call). I picked her up -- she didn't fight me, just vocally protested -- and carried her to the front of the house to join the others.
Not 30 minutes later, Della and Mr. Peabody (the daddy) were at the chicken wire right where Emma was taking a break with the littles, not pecking at them, but puffed up and 'grumbling'. Emma was only slightly puffed up, but didn't move to get up or get between the littles and the big ones. I stayed outside for a good 30 minutes to monitor the situation. Mr. Peabody grew bored and went to join his other 2 ladies at the fence line, while Della de-fluffed but stood there staring at the littles for about a minute longer. Then, out of nowhere, she starts squawking and runs off to the others like something was chasing her. This happened a half-dozen times yesterday. No over-aggressive attacking, just fluffing, dino noises, then running around.
Bedtime routine was uneventful, if you don't count trying to get Emma and the littles into the kennel before opening the coop to the 'grownups'.
Today, Della has been camping out around the perimeter of the coop, spending less time foraging than yesterday, and re-situating herself every time Emma moves somewhere else in the coop. Once in a while, if Emma gets close enough, she poofs up & dino-yells, but doesn't actually get up until Emma moves off to where Della can't see her. Mr. Peabody has done the fluff/dance/growl thing again when he's close to where Emma and the littles are, but, with him being a White-Crested Polish, I can tell if he's looking at Emma and wanting her "back in the rotation" so to speak, or trying to figure out WHAT those little things are, or he knows and is introducing himself. Otherwise, he's off with the other 2 girls.
What's going on with my chickens? Does anything point to devastation when I reintegrate Emma with the chicks? I was planning on doing it next weekend. Should I wait until there's zero reaction from Della & Mr. Peabody? If I let Della go full-on broody, at least until Emma's back with the gang, will she try to hurt or steal the littles when she DOES come off the nest for breaks?
I'm stumped.
