I got the most shocking surprise last night. I came home and was in the layer coop doing chores and I hear frantic peeping from outside, I look and here scattering around in the weeds are a bunch of little yellow chicks.....I am "what the heck?"....My set up has a very secure, buried, inside fence then I fenced in about 300 sq of pasture and trees for the hens and the two roosters to free range in during the day. I only have predator problems at night with Coyotes. They dont come around during the day at all. The dogs keep them in check.
Well here I find out that one of my hens took motherhood into her own hands and back in the trees she had a nest and 12 eggs in it. I have 9 just hatched chicks, with one pipping and the other two I am not sure of.
I had to scramble because I was not prepared or expecting it. I had just last tuesday decided to let my BUFF O broody hen to sit 6 eggs figuring I would move her before she starting hatching.
Well my little EE hen "Cocoa" decided to take motherhood into her own hands. She had been sitting out in the pasture under a tree for 21 days, surviving predators etc and hatched 9 healthy chicks with possibly more on the way. They are all a dark gold color with brown striping down their back. The father is either a White Rock Roo or a BO roo.
So picture this....here I am with my ever faithful dog, he is holding off the roosters at the gate to the pasture while I round up the chicks and mommy. I had set up a temp pen in the barn with my dogs old kennel and some plywood. I just did not trust the other chickens with the babies. So I gathered them up and set them up in their new temp home. Mommy and babies are doing wonderful.
Was I wrong in not letting them stay with the flock?
Another question, Will mom teach them to drink water and eat? or will I have to dip their beaks like I do the shipped ones?
I was completely shocked and not prepared to this at all..............
Good ole nature has a way of taking care of itself.....
Well here I find out that one of my hens took motherhood into her own hands and back in the trees she had a nest and 12 eggs in it. I have 9 just hatched chicks, with one pipping and the other two I am not sure of.
I had to scramble because I was not prepared or expecting it. I had just last tuesday decided to let my BUFF O broody hen to sit 6 eggs figuring I would move her before she starting hatching.
Well my little EE hen "Cocoa" decided to take motherhood into her own hands. She had been sitting out in the pasture under a tree for 21 days, surviving predators etc and hatched 9 healthy chicks with possibly more on the way. They are all a dark gold color with brown striping down their back. The father is either a White Rock Roo or a BO roo.
So picture this....here I am with my ever faithful dog, he is holding off the roosters at the gate to the pasture while I round up the chicks and mommy. I had set up a temp pen in the barn with my dogs old kennel and some plywood. I just did not trust the other chickens with the babies. So I gathered them up and set them up in their new temp home. Mommy and babies are doing wonderful.
Was I wrong in not letting them stay with the flock?
Another question, Will mom teach them to drink water and eat? or will I have to dip their beaks like I do the shipped ones?
I was completely shocked and not prepared to this at all..............
Good ole nature has a way of taking care of itself.....
)
