I was so excited when my Silkie "Sammie" went broody 3 weeks ago. I set 6 eggs under her...mixed eggs from my own chickens. She always laid her eggs on the coop floor, and chose that same spot to "set". I was worried about the other hens messing with her and/or the babies, so we "caged in" that corner of the coop for her. This cage is not Fort Knox, just a place where she and the babies could escape to if the hens were being bullies.
Two of the eggs never developed - one blue egg from one of my EE's, and one white Leghorn egg. On Sunday afternoon, I went out to check on her and the eggs for the millionth time, and I saw a sweet little yellow chick (Leghorn x RIR)
Later, I checked again and found a red RIR x Buff Orp chick. The 2 Silkie eggs were still there, but I could see they were beginning to pip. It was night time, so we went to bed.
Bright and early Monday morning, the kids and I ran outside to check on the babies, and we saw a tiny tiny black Silkie (White Silkie x Black Sizzle). She was soooo little and cute, but I didn't get a pic of her because she quickly crawled back under her Mommy. I took the kids to school, did a few things around the house, then went back out to the coop. I sat in the coop with the camera to get pics...and I saw a tiny yellow/gray splotchy Silkie chick
I got lots of pics, but I waited and waited to get pics of the black baby, but never saw her again. I figured she was just under her Mommy resting and staying warm. I left to go pick up the kids from school. Of course, the kids ran straight to the coop and sat around waiting to see the 2 Silkies, but they never came out, even though the Leghorn and Buff Orp were out walking around. At one point, Sammie kind of stood up a little, started cleaning herself and we could see there were no chicks under her. What????
We searched everywhere...all over the broody cage, behind the feeder and waterer, all over the coop and the run, outside of the coop and run...there was no sign of either Silkie chick anywhere. My poor heart-broken daughter said "It's like they never even existed". So I picked up Sammie and the 2 remaining babies, and brought them in the house and put them in the brooder. Since I don't know exacty what happened, I couldn't forgive myself if the last 2 chicks disappeared, too. The only thing I can think of is the babies got too close to the edge of the cage and the big hens reached in and snatched them up. I hate to think my girls would do such a thing...but they ARE chickens...and they like small moving things...
I'm really grateful for the 2 healthy chicks that we have, but I'm just in a funk today. I didn't even want to go outside to feed the chickens this morning...I put it off for over an hour. (They weren't starving, there was still food in their feeder.) It's just sad to walk out there now.
Next time, I know to make the broody box FORT KNOX, or completely separate the broody and babies from the rest of the flock. I just really didn't expect this to happen.
OK...I guess I'm done crying on your shoulder now. I guess I learned something new...and maybe someone else will learn from my experience.
Two of the eggs never developed - one blue egg from one of my EE's, and one white Leghorn egg. On Sunday afternoon, I went out to check on her and the eggs for the millionth time, and I saw a sweet little yellow chick (Leghorn x RIR)
Bright and early Monday morning, the kids and I ran outside to check on the babies, and we saw a tiny tiny black Silkie (White Silkie x Black Sizzle). She was soooo little and cute, but I didn't get a pic of her because she quickly crawled back under her Mommy. I took the kids to school, did a few things around the house, then went back out to the coop. I sat in the coop with the camera to get pics...and I saw a tiny yellow/gray splotchy Silkie chick
We searched everywhere...all over the broody cage, behind the feeder and waterer, all over the coop and the run, outside of the coop and run...there was no sign of either Silkie chick anywhere. My poor heart-broken daughter said "It's like they never even existed". So I picked up Sammie and the 2 remaining babies, and brought them in the house and put them in the brooder. Since I don't know exacty what happened, I couldn't forgive myself if the last 2 chicks disappeared, too. The only thing I can think of is the babies got too close to the edge of the cage and the big hens reached in and snatched them up. I hate to think my girls would do such a thing...but they ARE chickens...and they like small moving things...
I'm really grateful for the 2 healthy chicks that we have, but I'm just in a funk today. I didn't even want to go outside to feed the chickens this morning...I put it off for over an hour. (They weren't starving, there was still food in their feeder.) It's just sad to walk out there now.
OK...I guess I'm done crying on your shoulder now. I guess I learned something new...and maybe someone else will learn from my experience.
