My First Broody!

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Eggsakly said:
If I had it to do over again, I would have separated my broody much sooner in the process. I would have given her a space to herself, with closer access to food and water, and warmer temperatures. It was the first time for both of us, and we made a mess of things in some ways. Beyond the problems generated by having a chicken in the spare room for any reason, I have a dog in the house that is a danger to my chickens, and it takes some real extra effort to ensure their safety in the house, too. Still, it has worked best for the health and well-being of my hen and the babies. I wish I would have done it sooner.

I have so many plans for improving the chicken house this spring from all this . . .
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Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your first time didn't work out so well! It'll work out better next time, though! ;)
 
RodNTN said:
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your first time didn't work out so well! It'll work out better next time, though! ;)
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Thank you. Well, the first time isn't over yet, and things are so much better for my little Punkin'. She is really enjoying her babies now that she has sufficient warmth. I also bathed her, at least her lower half. She had a very hard time of it and I was not able to tell. I live in Alaska, and our nights are very long at this time of the year - at the solstice we have fewer than 5 hours of daylight, and for more than two weeks it was also overcast with dark, dark clouds. Everyday was like twilight and there was no day.

Because of it all, I wasn't able to visually check on my hen as I should have, and I assumed she was okay. She was not. She wasn't leaving her nest enough, and she was very, very thin and had horrible, stinky diarrhea when I finally moved her. She also had a wound on her head from being pecked by another chicken, which I couldn't see. But she was giving her all to her eggs.

I began to feed her by hand several times a day while she stayed on the nest. She gobbled it all up like I couldn't believe. She soon learned not to bite my fingers all on her own, which I appreciated. Then, while still feeding her by hand everyday for four days, I moved her into a better place in the chicken house. The eggs hatched and I moved them all indoors, and they have thrived ever since. And I can tell that my hen loves it. All of them spend a great deal of time off the nest and under the heat lamp. They all love the warmth and the movement the warmth allows them. By the third day of life, the chicks had all fallen asleep under the lamp next to their mother, but not under her. She got more rest, too. Her head has healed (but she's still bald), her poop is normal, and she loves just sitting and talking to her babies while she clucks and shows them food. Keeping them warm is harder work for her, and I'm enjoying pampering her, I feel so bad about failing her earlier. I won't ever do that again.

RodNTN said:
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your first time didn't work out so well! It'll work out better next time, though! ;)
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Eggsakly said:
Thank you. Well, the first time isn't over yet, and things are so much better for my little Punkin'. She is really enjoying her babies now that she has sufficient warmth. I also bathed her, at least her lower half. She had a very hard time of it and I was not able to tell. I live in Alaska, and our nights are very long at this time of the year - at the solstice we have fewer than 5 hours of daylight, and for more than two weeks it was also overcast with dark, dark clouds. Everyday was like twilight and there was no day.

Because of it all, I wasn't able to visually check on my hen as I should have, and I assumed she was okay. She was not. She wasn't leaving her nest enough, and she was very, very thin and had horrible, stinky diarrhea when I finally moved her. She also had a wound on her head from being pecked by another chicken, which I couldn't see. But she was giving her all to her eggs.

I began to feed her by hand several times a day while she stayed on the nest. She gobbled it all up like I couldn't believe. She soon learned not to bite my fingers all on her own, which I appreciated. Then, while still feeding her by hand everyday for four days, I moved her into a better place in the chicken house. The eggs hatched and I moved them all indoors, and they have thrived ever since. And I can tell that my hen loves it. All of them spend a great deal of time off the nest and under the heat lamp. They all love the warmth and the movement the warmth allows them. By the third day of life, the chicks had all fallen asleep under the lamp next to their mother, but not under her. She got more rest, too. Her head has healed (but she's still bald), her poop is normal, and she loves just sitting and talking to her babies while she clucks and shows them food. Keeping them warm is harder work for her, and I'm enjoying pampering her, I feel so bad about failing her earlier. I won't ever do that again.
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Oh my goodness! What a loyal hen! She is so beautiful! It is wonderful to hear that she is thriving! I am so happy for you :highfive:
 
Thanks, again. I try to be a good friend and caretaker to them. They talk all the time, and I'm learning more all the time how to hear what they say. I actually enjoy caring for them one-on-one, and every time I do they are always friendlier afterward. They learn to trust.

This has allowed me to observe her, and she is responsive to everything the babies do when they are under her. She moves frequently in response to their needs. I can watch her and see how exhausting it is for her. She will try to nod off to sleep, and one of the chicks will move, and she is on high alert again. Yes, she is devoted to them, and is a wonderful mommy. And giving her and them heat made a world of difference for her. It is lovely to watch her interact with them. I love how they jump on her back. It is so stinkin' CUTE!

She can hatch eggs all she wants as far as i'm concerned, and I will make it right for her. Thanks for sharing our story.
 
Well, I was almost thought for sure that the egg was dead but now I’m having second thoughts... I candle it again in a few days and I can’t see very well but it looks like there’s a blob in there... The air sac is very visible and I don’t see veins but again it’s not dark in there and I couldn’t really see
 

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