I did something unconventional. I realized that there would be no letting broody hen out with her clutch of 6. The guinea hens are sometimes agressive and I'm pretty sure they would go after the chicks. If it was one or two guineas NBD, but it's nine and I've nicknamed them The Polka Dot Mafia. (Heretofore to be known as TPDM) They are a single unit. and everyone scurries before them (except for Roo #1 for some reason).
I also had 14 eggs hatch yesterday. I thought I would give Miserable Mama Hen(MMH) two just to see if she would take them in having just hatched out chicks on Monday. She did. I was lazy and didn't want to set up the brooder I hadn't been planning on using so I gave her 4 more chicks. She got a little shirty with a couple of them and I kicked her out of the stable for about 4 hours and moved all the rest of the chicks after turning on the heat lamp. I figured that was it and it was going to be a henless clutch.
Just before dark she was still very agitated and I took pity on her and let her in. She immediately ran into the stall... and gathered all 20 chicks in and led them over to "the broody corner"
They don't all fit, but it seems to work between MMH and the heat lamp. They take turns and everyone seems fine.
She's got 15 under her in this pic with 5 out.
what a good momma.
I also had 14 eggs hatch yesterday. I thought I would give Miserable Mama Hen(MMH) two just to see if she would take them in having just hatched out chicks on Monday. She did. I was lazy and didn't want to set up the brooder I hadn't been planning on using so I gave her 4 more chicks. She got a little shirty with a couple of them and I kicked her out of the stable for about 4 hours and moved all the rest of the chicks after turning on the heat lamp. I figured that was it and it was going to be a henless clutch.
Just before dark she was still very agitated and I took pity on her and let her in. She immediately ran into the stall... and gathered all 20 chicks in and led them over to "the broody corner"
They don't all fit, but it seems to work between MMH and the heat lamp. They take turns and everyone seems fine.
She's got 15 under her in this pic with 5 out.
what a good momma.
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