- Mar 15, 2012
- 78
- 2
- 43
Ok, Two girls, Snow and Goldie went broody about the same time. Based on our last experience, we just let them set on their nests in the regular coop and waited to move them until the first babies hatched. (That worked last time, Trying to move mommy and nest gave her great upset, but once the first peep was here, we moved her whole nest box into the nursery coop and she did fine). Saturday both girls had a baby under them, so Sunday we moved them both to the nursery coop.
We put two separate shelters (1 is a very large plastic bin/tub, upside down, with a door way cut out; the other a very long wooden box done the same way but with a hinge lid on top so we can open it) in the nursery run and put a hen with her nest box in each, so they were separately sheltered but shared the same food, water, and run space.
this morning (monday) went out to check them and all hell had broken loose. Snow had left her nest and was in Goldie's box, Goldie wasn't on her nest but was as far away from it as she could get with her baby under her. Snow's baby is gone. GONE. Can't find baby, can't find dead body, can't find a pile of fuzz and bones. One egg in Goldie's nest is broken (with partially formed dead chick, yuck what a mess). Snow is in Goldie's box running frantic.
I removed Snow, put her back on her nest under the plastic bin, emptied the broken egg and its mess out of the box and put the other two eggs back in. In about 20 minutes, Goldie moved her chick back in with the eggs and was sitting on them all again.
I came inside and posted to my local chicken group that I needed a day old (or as young as possible) chick to put under Snow to keep her from going crazy. someone then told me that the problem was having two broody hens in the same enclosure.
I began to connect the dots and realized I had done a major mistake.
I immediately went outside and moved Snow and her whole box back to the main coop where she sat right on them and calmed down a lot.
So, Goldie and her baby and her nest are safe in the nursery coop. I don't really think that any other eggs will hatch. The one that was broken looked to be much less developed than I would have thought. We have enough chickens so we only let each girl set 3-4 eggs, and to be honest, I think that 1 or 2 were laid later by other hens (after the broodies started setting, like during their breaks) so they could be quite a bit difference in age. However, I will let her set on the other two eggs until she leaves them to take her chick out. She and her baby should be fine now.
Snow however, I have no idea if she will hatch any more out, If one hatched Saturday and it is Monday with no more action... well, I'm not hopeful. I am worried though because she has been setting the whole time and when you pick her up, you can tell she is quite light, so she has lost weight while setting (which I know is normal). I'm just worried that if she tries to keep setting these eggs she will lose too much weight. I certainly don't want to take these eggs and start over with fresh ones and have her set another 20 days, she will for sure lose too much weight then.
I don't have another pen to use as a nursery pen (if I could get a baby for her I mean) and I feel very uncomfortable with babies in the main coop. It is large and the chickens free roam all day long and only use the coop at night and the ladies come and go to lay eggs during the day, but it is shared by 21 chickens including several roosters and also 2 guineas, I just don't think it is a safe place for a wee peep.
What do I do for Snow? Let her sit on her nest until she realizes that the eggs are dead (if indeed they are)? Buy her a baby (if I can find one) and try to cobble together another coop (not sure husband will go for that... we have 3 now, plus a duck run)? If I just leave her be will she eventually just get over it and get up?
I'm sad about the baby and feel so guilty that I likely caused this, but now I'm worried about Snow losing too much weight if she keeps setting a nest.
We put two separate shelters (1 is a very large plastic bin/tub, upside down, with a door way cut out; the other a very long wooden box done the same way but with a hinge lid on top so we can open it) in the nursery run and put a hen with her nest box in each, so they were separately sheltered but shared the same food, water, and run space.
this morning (monday) went out to check them and all hell had broken loose. Snow had left her nest and was in Goldie's box, Goldie wasn't on her nest but was as far away from it as she could get with her baby under her. Snow's baby is gone. GONE. Can't find baby, can't find dead body, can't find a pile of fuzz and bones. One egg in Goldie's nest is broken (with partially formed dead chick, yuck what a mess). Snow is in Goldie's box running frantic.
I removed Snow, put her back on her nest under the plastic bin, emptied the broken egg and its mess out of the box and put the other two eggs back in. In about 20 minutes, Goldie moved her chick back in with the eggs and was sitting on them all again.
I came inside and posted to my local chicken group that I needed a day old (or as young as possible) chick to put under Snow to keep her from going crazy. someone then told me that the problem was having two broody hens in the same enclosure.
I began to connect the dots and realized I had done a major mistake.
I immediately went outside and moved Snow and her whole box back to the main coop where she sat right on them and calmed down a lot.
So, Goldie and her baby and her nest are safe in the nursery coop. I don't really think that any other eggs will hatch. The one that was broken looked to be much less developed than I would have thought. We have enough chickens so we only let each girl set 3-4 eggs, and to be honest, I think that 1 or 2 were laid later by other hens (after the broodies started setting, like during their breaks) so they could be quite a bit difference in age. However, I will let her set on the other two eggs until she leaves them to take her chick out. She and her baby should be fine now.
Snow however, I have no idea if she will hatch any more out, If one hatched Saturday and it is Monday with no more action... well, I'm not hopeful. I am worried though because she has been setting the whole time and when you pick her up, you can tell she is quite light, so she has lost weight while setting (which I know is normal). I'm just worried that if she tries to keep setting these eggs she will lose too much weight. I certainly don't want to take these eggs and start over with fresh ones and have her set another 20 days, she will for sure lose too much weight then.
I don't have another pen to use as a nursery pen (if I could get a baby for her I mean) and I feel very uncomfortable with babies in the main coop. It is large and the chickens free roam all day long and only use the coop at night and the ladies come and go to lay eggs during the day, but it is shared by 21 chickens including several roosters and also 2 guineas, I just don't think it is a safe place for a wee peep.
What do I do for Snow? Let her sit on her nest until she realizes that the eggs are dead (if indeed they are)? Buy her a baby (if I can find one) and try to cobble together another coop (not sure husband will go for that... we have 3 now, plus a duck run)? If I just leave her be will she eventually just get over it and get up?
I'm sad about the baby and feel so guilty that I likely caused this, but now I'm worried about Snow losing too much weight if she keeps setting a nest.
. When that warm water went over its little body it kicked the bottom of the shell right off. It is under the heat lamp with the first one, and is looking like the healthier of the two. Just went and looked and three more trying to hatch.. Two with pips and one that she is breaking the shell off of... Not sure what to do...
