I am LOVING this thread! This is my first broody hen "Mama". She's a black Silkie and an awesome mama hen, and packs quite the attitude in her pompadour!
An overly curious pony destroyed her broody box and all the eggs (within 3 days of hatch!) and she wouldn't give up the broody, so I got her a Silkie baby and some feather-footed-bantam chicks to raise. She never blinked an eye, just tucked them up under her...
She's my first broody experience, and I'm hooked! I put her in a large galvanized livestock tub while she was sitting on eggs, and for roughly a week after she was given babies to minimize drafts and interference from other hens. Then I moved her and babies to a smaller wire brooder cage that I put in an empty horse stall bedded with fresh straw. When she was ready she began taking them out on little excursions in the stall only. She dug the straw out of one corner and taught the babies how to dust bathe and scratch. It was fun to watch - every week she'd take them a little further out from the brooder cage. It took her a while, but eventually they were ranging out in the grass with everyone else, and this week I added her and the babies to the coop. She claimed a corner of the coop as her own, and everyone is happy. She still keeps babies very close, and hasn't eased any of her watchfulness yet. I expect her to begin distancing herself from them in the next 2 weeks.
I forgot to add - she "shares" her babies with Bob the tail-less barn cat. She tolerates no one else near her babies but myself and Bob. He slept cuddled in the straw next to her broody cage in the barn, and he follows them around the barnyard, guarding from a distance. Sometimes she even lets Bob babysit (chicksit?) for her and leaves a few sleeping babies with him while she ranges. I've tried to get a picture of Bob with sleeping chicks cuddled on his back, but it's not worked out yet. They're a bit of an odd couple...
KYChixMama, that is such a sweet story. and love the pictures of mama and her brood.
congrats..
anna, that is adorable could be a childrens book in the making..
all the best to you dawng as you wait patiently for your little ones to hatch
let us know what you see!!!!!
I don't know what to do about my mama hen that is wobbly, yesterday I made her the mareks concoction and she ate it right up, so hoping I'd see a miracle this morning, not yet
she is still trying to take care of her chicks and I haven't the heart to take them from her, will have to make that decision soon if she doesn't show improvement. I am just praying it's not Mareks, she does have the only one symptom which is unbalanced. and it could be something else too. I am heart broken as to what to do the chicks will be 3 weeks old this Sunday. Yesterday I let her and the chicks out in the late afternoon just to see how well she is walking and she is very unsteady but made it down hill into the main coop but I didn't leave her there because I was worried the other chickens would pick on her so her and hr chicks are back out in the hospital ward. I've never had anything like this.
Congratulations on your broodies. Kinda sweet that the 3rd girl is lonely and wants to be with her friends. Chickens never cease to amze me, with their antics!!
I also have blue eggs to candle, and hadn't heard it being more difficult- but I can see where it would be. Let us know how it goes and share any tips, please!
Our hatch date here is May 29-30th. Maybe in a week I'll start candeling...?
