This has been a terrible summer for my broody hens. I have never had more than two at a time and the past few weeks I've dealt with four simultaneously. Hatch rates have been horrible. The first hen hatched a single chick. The second and third hens, who were sharing that original hen's clutch from where she originally put them in the woods, did not hatch any. I found new chicks for the two mothers and they've taken to parenting them together, very cute.
Today is day 21 for my last broody. She's an experienced mom and I know she does a good job, but still, no sign of chicks. A couple days ago, I thought I heard her clucking to her eggs. I was hopeful this meant babies soon, at least one to satisfy her mothering instinct, but so far nothing. I've never not had chicks from a broody at this point, so I'm almost certain none will hatch. I'm not giving up yet, but by early next week, I will have to decide. I've never broken a broody or seen a reason to. Her desire to raise offspring is (usually) easy enough to accommodate and serves me, too, by growing my flock.
After the trouble of getting chicks once already and not wanting to go through the trouble, expense or contact with other people just now, has anyone ever reset new eggs under a broody if hers failed to hatch? I worry it would be too much. She seems to be in reasonable condition. She is in a private spot in a small coop, so she doesn't have to compete for food with the others. I've been supplementing her with some scrambled egg every day just to be nice. Has anyone tried it? Am I just asking to much and should bite the bullet and find yet more chicks?
Today is day 21 for my last broody. She's an experienced mom and I know she does a good job, but still, no sign of chicks. A couple days ago, I thought I heard her clucking to her eggs. I was hopeful this meant babies soon, at least one to satisfy her mothering instinct, but so far nothing. I've never not had chicks from a broody at this point, so I'm almost certain none will hatch. I'm not giving up yet, but by early next week, I will have to decide. I've never broken a broody or seen a reason to. Her desire to raise offspring is (usually) easy enough to accommodate and serves me, too, by growing my flock.
After the trouble of getting chicks once already and not wanting to go through the trouble, expense or contact with other people just now, has anyone ever reset new eggs under a broody if hers failed to hatch? I worry it would be too much. She seems to be in reasonable condition. She is in a private spot in a small coop, so she doesn't have to compete for food with the others. I've been supplementing her with some scrambled egg every day just to be nice. Has anyone tried it? Am I just asking to much and should bite the bullet and find yet more chicks?
