I LOVE this thread! The BO looks just like my Ethel, who also happens to be broody right now!
This was our first round of broody mamas on Almosta Farm and I think I was more stressed out than when I had my own baby. UGH. It started with Georgia the cochin starting to sit on March 8 (we thought) and a Jersey Giant starting to sit four days later. I had to figure out that other hens were continuing to lay their eggs in the nest boxes these ladies were using, so I had quite a few eggs "joining the party" for the first week. Then I labelled all the eggs and made a point of collecting anything that wasn't labelled.
Well, our first baby hatched on March 28 and I figured all of Georgia's clutch would follow suit. Nope. Two days later one of the Giant's babies hatched. Maybe all of Georgia's were DOA? Nope, more of Georgia's continued to hatch through the week and even into the next week. Jersey's eggs are hatching now... alongside a clutch that Chickie had that we weren't even aware of until last week. I am so confused!
I don't know if it's right or wrong to do, but Georgia's been sitting so long and she looks so rough that I've been giving her all the pipping eggs to hatch out from the other ladies that haven't been sitting as long. I also gave her the babies that hatched singly from other ladies' clutches. She's got seven babies and one last egg tonite. Her neighbor in the broody box never assembled a clutch of her own, but was swiping from other nests and determined to sit so she's hard at work- she's hatched out two so far, and those babies went to Georgia (the chicken, not the state).
As far as resilient chicks go, I have a broody jersey giant and broody dominique still in the coop. The dominique hatched three lovely babies a couple of days ago, but once those babies were ready to move around, she gave them up to the jersey giant and went to set on the giant's nest. They swapped duties and seem quite happy with the arrangement. The jersey giant moved the babies to a corner of the coop and keeps a good eye on them- the three day old chicks CAN hop up and down the platforms and continue to amaze me with how feisty they are in general.
Sure hoping I didn't mess something up in the process of putting them there. She looked a little unhappy at me messing with her but seems to be settled down okay on them now. Just, should I have waited until nighttime to do it? I mean, too late now but I'm wondering if that works better?
I know she needs to but, like the over protective parent, I am worried! Tell me she will eat when she needs to and to place my trust in her!! I know they are suppose to know what they are doing but you know how us humans are....we know better!!!!
