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Had a sad situation in our coop on Friday morning. Found a young broody (with 8 chicks) had died overnight. She hadnt done well with brooding. She usually refused to eat anything we offered to try to bolster her while setting and just didnt want to be out for more than a few minutes each day. I was worried about her weight (which is why I tried giving her extra each day) and we gave her chicks as soon as we could (only about 20 days into her sitting) hoping that getting her off the nest would get her straightened up. Unfortunately it didnt. She started showing signs of wry neck the day we gave her chicks. She looked normal most of the time but when excited her head would weave back and forth. We gave her vitamins (dropped in her beak) and tried to get her to eat by offering tempting treats but she rarely would eat, but she constantly called her chicks to eat and drink. She was fiercely protective and attentive to them but not herself. I even tube fed her numerous times to try to keep her nutrients up, hoping she would snap out of it. Unfortunately it wasn't enough. :he:(...
Here is the proud Copper the day she got her chicks...RIP
20190502_145318.jpg

But there is a good ending....
In the adjoining pen was Jo, a mix hen whose mama was Gracie, our best broody ever, and she had taught Jo well. Jo is going on 6 yrs old and has raised probably 15 broods of her own now. Jo had only been sitting about 2 weeks when we found out we could get some California white chicks from rural king. We had been trying to find that breed all spring because the 2 CWs we have are slowing down and we wanted more. (Great white egg layers, like a leghorn but less nutsy) ... so anyway, I got 10 chicks and gave them to Jo who was tickled to have them. ...
Now I had to hope Jo would accept more chicks. Hers were 7 days old and bright yellow, Copper's were only 9 days but a bit bigger (mixes from our Plymouth rocks) and darker colors. I had good hope when I found Jo laying against the divider fence with the orphans close by on the other side. I opened the gate, scattered some treat in the orphan's enclosure and sure enough, good ol'Jo jumped in and started calling chicks.... and not just hers! The orphans were a bit spooked by the strange hen at first but they recognized that vocalization and soon approached to see what was being offered. Jo soon had the eating out of her beak, lol and I started boosting Jo's chicks over the divider and the chicks mingled without any squabbling at all. Good thing broodies cant count!:lau poor Jo just signed up to raise 18 chicks!
I am upset that we couldn't save poor Copper, but watching Jo be super broody has helped. And I am really glad these chicks will still have a good mama to teach them.
So here (finally) is a few pics of the (overrun) proud broody, Jo....
20190510_100206.jpg

20190510_095558.jpg
20190510_090412.jpg

And of course, Mindy is offering moral support.... lol
20190510_091422.jpg
 
fisherlady said:
Had a sad situation in our coop on Friday morning. Found a young broody (with 8 chicks) had died overnight. She hadnt done well with brooding. She usually refused to eat anything we offered to try to bolster her while setting and just didnt want to be out for more than a few minutes each day. I was worried about her weight (which is why I tried giving her extra each day) and we gave her chicks as soon as we could (only about 20 days into her sitting) hoping that getting her off the nest would get her straightened up. Unfortunately it didnt. She started showing signs of wry neck the day we gave her chicks. She looked normal most of the time but when excited her head would weave back and forth. We gave her vitamins (dropped in her beak) and tried to get her to eat by offering tempting treats but she rarely would eat, but she constantly called her chicks to eat and drink. She was fiercely protective and attentive to them but not herself. I even tube fed her numerous times to try to keep her nutrients up, hoping she would snap out of it. Unfortunately it wasn't enough. :he:(...
Here is the proud Copper the day she got her chicks...RIP
View attachment 1771724
But there is a good ending....
In the adjoining pen was Jo, a mix hen whose mama was Gracie, our best broody ever, and she had taught Jo well. Jo is going on 6 yrs old and has raised probably 15 broods of her own now. Jo had only been sitting about 2 weeks when we found out we could get some California white chicks from rural king. We had been trying to find that breed all spring because the 2 CWs we have are slowing down and we wanted more. (Great white egg layers, like a leghorn but less nutsy) ... so anyway, I got 10 chicks and gave them to Jo who was tickled to have them. ...
Now I had to hope Jo would accept more chicks. Hers were 7 days old and bright yellow, Copper's were only 9 days but a bit bigger (mixes from our Plymouth rocks) and darker colors. I had good hope when I found Jo laying against the divider fence with the orphans close by on the other side. I opened the gate, scattered some treat in the orphan's enclosure and sure enough, good ol'Jo jumped in and started calling chicks.... and not just hers! The orphans were a bit spooked by the strange hen at first but they recognized that vocalization and soon approached to see what was being offered. Jo soon had the eating out of her beak, lol and I started boosting Jo's chicks over the divider and the chicks mingled without any squabbling at all. Good thing broodies cant count!:lau poor Jo just signed up to raise 18 chicks!
I am upset that we couldn't save poor Copper, but watching Jo be super broody has helped. And I am really glad these chicks will still have a good mama to teach them.
So here (finally) is a few pics of the (overrun) proud broody, Jo....
View attachment 1771743
View attachment 1771744 View attachment 1771745
And of course, Mindy is offering moral support.... lol
View attachment 1771746
Click to expand...
happy for the family and still love that mindy:love:love
 

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