My broody has eggs due to hatch on Friday!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!

[austinhart123]

please dont seperate chicks from their mother it makes them upset and anxious. how would you feel if someone took your kids away from you?

 

[cjeanean]

Honestly, I have no idea....I'm gonna be in a similar boat (hopefully) in about 10 months.....

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I am dealing with 2 broody hens right now.

The first hen's eggs started hatching last Friday. She took to the chick and they are getting along fine.
On Monday, 2 more chicks hatched, and by the time my son got home from school, both of them had been pecked in the head by both broody hens. Luckily, a friend of ours gave us a brooder that had 4-5 week RIR chicks in it until we could put them with our other chickens. So, we took the RIR chicks out of the brooder and they are in pet carriers until this weekend. We put the two pecked chicks in the brooder and they are recovering nicely, and being treated with vitamin/electrolyte water, and triple antibiotic ointment.

Today, another chick hatched and it was fine until the hens got up to eat. When the one hen came back, she stared pecking it. Luckily, I was there to get the chick out of the pen, and put it into the brooder.

Now, the other broody hen and the 1st broody hen are both sitting on eggs that are due to hatch tomorrow.

As you can see in the picture, one of the chicks is staying with the hens and is having no problems. I'm not sure why they are pecking the new chicks.

This is my first time having broodies and chicks, so I'll be following this thread closely for suggestions.

We live in the desert so free ranging is not really a good idea with the hawks, owls, and coyotes. My chickens are in a closed in stable and not really able to add on.

Good luck

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking....I wouldn't want it done to me(I have 4 kids and a grand daughter)