Nest found now what?

[ChickenChick46]

Yeh I set the food and water on the ground a few feet away from the hedge. She is in the hedge out front. The coop, nest boxes, feed, and water are all out back. That is a long trek for a tiny chick so I put some closer for now. Last night 2 babies that I could see. This morning 5. 1 is definitely half Easter Egger with feathered legs though. So cute!

They're so cute! It looks like she's doing a great job!

 

[ValkerieGunn]

They're so cute! It looks like she's doing a great job!

I am wicked happy with how good a Momma she is. I was nervous about broody girls hurting/ taking out their babies but she let's them peck her face and just sits there looking like a exhausted Mom. It is so funny. We are up to 6 visible babies and she is doing great but still sitting. If there are unhatched eggs under her but the hatched chicks are ready will she sit and hatch or abandon the nest for the hatched chicks? I am giving it time but checking often for babies on the ground because we do have some feral cats around here.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I am wicked happy with how good a Momma she is. I was nervous about broody girls hurting/ taking out their babies but she let's them peck her face and just sits there looking like a exhausted Mom. It is so funny. We are up to 6 visible babies and she is doing great but still sitting. If there are unhatched eggs under her but the hatched chicks are ready will she sit and hatch or abandon the nest for the hatched chicks? I am giving it time but checking often for babies on the ground because we do have some feral cats around here.

I can just picture that. I remember watching my mother dog's face when the babies were old enough to bite and pull at her lips and ears, lol. Poor Bella.

I'm not sure about whether she'll sit or go with the other chicks since I've never been through this. I bet someone on here has some good advice on that though.

 

[16 and me]

I can just picture that. I remember watching my mother dog's face when the babies were old enough to bite and pull at her lips and ears, lol. Poor Bella.

I'm not sure about whether she'll sit or go with the other chicks since I've never been through this. I bet someone on here has some good advice on that though.

In my experience, all my broody hens will abandon the unhatched eggs after day 3 or 4, and take care of the chicks that are in need of food and water. She has a lot of work to do teaching them to forage and dust bathe and avoid danger. It's a beautiful thing.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

Well I have no idea what happened but I heard odd sounds and went to check. Shirley was on the ground looking around and calling. A few other chickens ran off when I showed up. 6 babies in the nest with a few eggs unhatched. I had 7 babies earlier so I followed my other hens and Nibbler had the baby in her beak. It was no longer alive. So since Shirley was on the ground I moved her and the eggs and babies to the grow out pen and she plopped down on eggs and babies and seems happy. Now to decide do I drag out the big cage for the 2 chickens I am in the middle of introducing to the flock because they had the grow out pen since it is connected to the coop or just merge them since they have been in the see no touch for 2 weeks.