OMG SHE'S BACK!!!!! UPDATE, NEED OPINIONS ONCE MORE

[chicknmania]

She's back,she's back!!!!!

We thought sure Hedwig had been eaten by a hawk (or at least I thought so)..There's been a big hawk hanging around and she's been missing for two days. Well, this morning my daughter said,"mom, I bet she's just sitting on eggs somewhere"..."haha" I laughed. In THIS weather????? It's freezing and they haven't been laying for weeks". About an hour ago my DH was looking out the window and said "isn't that Hedwig on the birdfeeder???" "no" I said, glancing out. But it was. I rushed out with a pan of leftover tuna helper. She ate some, but mainly wanted water, pecking on the frozen water bowl. I gave her water and tried to entice her back to the barn, but she wouldn't go, and I couldn't catch her. So I went to the barn to try and entice the others outside, thinking maybe she'd come on her own. But she didn't. So I came back to the house looking for her, and finally found her on a shelf in the garage! What's she doing???? Yes, yes!!! She loves being a mother!

 

[Bec]

Yay!!!! Glad to hear she is home safe and with babies in tow!! It would be great of you could post some pics of her and her new babies!!!




I could only wish that is where my precious Lauren is.....I think she is gone for good

 

[Frizzledhen]

I'm so glad Hedwig is back. When they go broody they are soooo determined. Maybe not so smart, but determined. Here's hoping she has lots of little chicks hatch out in 19 days.

 

[MissPrissy]

Yaaay for broody hens!

 

[WriterofWords]

Happy ending a good thing! But why are our hens doing this to us?? It's cold out there, their babies are at risk. We've had abnormally warm weather and horrible night time cold snaps.

 

[newchickenfamily]

Glad she's OK!!!

 

[chicknmania]

Her babies should be due right around Thanksgiving, maybe a little after cause it is cold. She is a determined mama. Last year she sat on nothing (no eggs) for weeks and weeks, we finally had to shut her up in a coop away from her nest to re-set her! Then this past summer she sat on eggs forever, went two days past the due date, before she finally hatched em. She hatched seven fine babies and she was the best mama, protecting them from everything, showing them where food, water and cover were, etc. Well they are all bigger then her now, except one who was killed and she actually went through what we think was a short grieving period for that baby...she waited by the place where the baby was killed (by a mink, we think) til way after sundown one evening....so, anyway, the rest are "weaned" and I guess she is ready to try again. We once had a hen who hatched chicks December 1, but it was a very warm winter that year. We just had a spell of Indian Summer, lasted about a week, maybe Hedwig thought it was springtime again.....

 

[d.k]

* I can't believe it!! How many eggs has she got this time?? As cold as it is, water frozen already up there (uh, as I sit here in a breezy 8Od, give or take!!), I gotta wonder, WHAT is that crazy chicken thinking!! If it were me, I'd for sure be tucked up in a nice, cozy coop, not out in the garage!!!!

 

[Bec]

Oh derrr....I thought she already had the babies!!!

 

[chicknmania]

No, she hasn't had em yet, but I hope she does! As far as what she's thinking, it's probably, "hey...someone played a mean trick! I thought it was spring again!" We had a week or more of very cold weather a few weeks ago, then a period of moderate weather, then Indian Summer with temps in the 70's. So she probably figured..."cool! Winter's over!

" Anyway, she picked a good place..it's warmer in the garage than the barn, and we close the door at night so nothing can get her. We will have to watch her closely but this will actually make it easier.