MemeA
Chirping
- Feb 13, 2016
- 20
- 17
- 69
Hi! I have a flock of 4 hens (no rooster)--the original 3 (the boss and 2 that are now broody and sitting on fertile eggs I got from a friend) and 1 (Cookie) added by hatching from a broody 2 years ago. The boss has never shown any interest in going broody, broody hens, or chicks.
The two broodies have been sitting in the coop on 9 eggs and letting the other two add their eggs each day (which I've been removing daily). One egg hatched yesterday morning and we found it dead in the middle of the coop--not sure why.
The other eggs are now beginning to hatch--one is under one of the moms and the other one is alive, but laying off to the side after the moms pecked off its shell and shook it out of the shell.
Cookie has not been broody, ever, but seems determined to join the moms. For now, I've banished her from the coop for fear that the dead chick yesterday was her doing as she tried to lay an egg. She keeps trying to get back in the coop.
Meanwhile, the broodies have one live chick under them and 1 egg--the other 5 eggs have been pushed away from them. And the coop is (of course!) hot as heck today (heat wave) and the broodies are panting.
Is this normal broody hen behavior? Should I put the eggs that have been pushed away back under the hens? Should I let Cookie back into the coop? Try her with the chick the moms seem to have rejected?
Or just let Cookie back in the coop and take a chill pill...
Thanks....
The two broodies have been sitting in the coop on 9 eggs and letting the other two add their eggs each day (which I've been removing daily). One egg hatched yesterday morning and we found it dead in the middle of the coop--not sure why.
The other eggs are now beginning to hatch--one is under one of the moms and the other one is alive, but laying off to the side after the moms pecked off its shell and shook it out of the shell.
Cookie has not been broody, ever, but seems determined to join the moms. For now, I've banished her from the coop for fear that the dead chick yesterday was her doing as she tried to lay an egg. She keeps trying to get back in the coop.
Meanwhile, the broodies have one live chick under them and 1 egg--the other 5 eggs have been pushed away from them. And the coop is (of course!) hot as heck today (heat wave) and the broodies are panting.
Is this normal broody hen behavior? Should I put the eggs that have been pushed away back under the hens? Should I let Cookie back into the coop? Try her with the chick the moms seem to have rejected?
Or just let Cookie back in the coop and take a chill pill...
Thanks....
