I have some sort of hen who I don't know what is (We called all of the hens that looked like that Quaily Birds, so I'll just say Q). She looks like a meaty game bird, ameracauna cross type thing. She hatched chicks, nine to be exact. All of them had Ameracauna blood and were super super cute (especially one who had the top of an eggshell stuck on her head.) Well it started out terribly. I had just gotten through with a booted bantam (Lilly) and her 5 chicks, and Lilly was fine with me handling her and her babies. Q was not. She was super aggressive. Well about 20 minutes after everyone finished hatching she climbed into a different nesting box, a nesting box that had another hen in it. Did I mention that the chicks are in a box 2 ft off the ground, a long way when you are only 2 inches tall. I waited a while (30 min) and she didn't come back. I thought, "Well maybe if I put them on the ground she'll want them back.
One, down, no response.
Two, down, no response.
Three, down, that crossed the line. She was not giving up three whole chicks. She attacked me then counted her chicks. Then went back in the box. It was getting dark and I didn't want the chicks hurt. Okay then, we'll just have to raise them tonight.
One, in the box, no response.
Two, in the box, no response.
Three, in the box, that crossed the line, and you get the point. She did eventually start taking care of the chicks, except she took them out to the very very tall grass (4 to 5 ft high). Well, this did keep them cool but it was easy to get lost. She lost 4 in a week.
Then, one morning, I found her laying on her back, feet in the air. One eye on the floor still open. Her wattles were stuck to her face showing how she fell. Her feet were kind of hooked over a small blunt piece of metal that sticks from the nest boxes. I can't say for sure but she may have:
a) Had a heart attack and fallen on her back
b) Died from stress of chicks
c) Been dehydrated (They always have water but they were going so far away she may not have been drinking)
d) Tripped and died from head trauma
Anyways she was dead and the chicks had been exploring by themselves all morning. I couldn't catch them and figured that they would probably be fine. Long story short, their mother, who's only purpose in this world was to raise most of them to adulthood could not handle it and these chicks who should never have to raise each other have been doing fine for a month and not lost a single one. I must say, I do find it interesting that they split into color groups the two darker ones, two red ones, and a yellow roo i think who goes between overall leader and the red group. Each group has a leader and a follower and for a good 2 weeks they depended on this system like they would die without it (which is probably true).
Anyway, I thought that was cool, share your similar stories here.
Later, Ms. Bagawkbagawk
One, down, no response.
Two, down, no response.
Three, down, that crossed the line. She was not giving up three whole chicks. She attacked me then counted her chicks. Then went back in the box. It was getting dark and I didn't want the chicks hurt. Okay then, we'll just have to raise them tonight.
One, in the box, no response.
Two, in the box, no response.
Three, in the box, that crossed the line, and you get the point. She did eventually start taking care of the chicks, except she took them out to the very very tall grass (4 to 5 ft high). Well, this did keep them cool but it was easy to get lost. She lost 4 in a week.
Then, one morning, I found her laying on her back, feet in the air. One eye on the floor still open. Her wattles were stuck to her face showing how she fell. Her feet were kind of hooked over a small blunt piece of metal that sticks from the nest boxes. I can't say for sure but she may have:
a) Had a heart attack and fallen on her back
b) Died from stress of chicks
c) Been dehydrated (They always have water but they were going so far away she may not have been drinking)
d) Tripped and died from head trauma
Anyways she was dead and the chicks had been exploring by themselves all morning. I couldn't catch them and figured that they would probably be fine. Long story short, their mother, who's only purpose in this world was to raise most of them to adulthood could not handle it and these chicks who should never have to raise each other have been doing fine for a month and not lost a single one. I must say, I do find it interesting that they split into color groups the two darker ones, two red ones, and a yellow roo i think who goes between overall leader and the red group. Each group has a leader and a follower and for a good 2 weeks they depended on this system like they would die without it (which is probably true).
Anyway, I thought that was cool, share your similar stories here.
Later, Ms. Bagawkbagawk
