should i just stand there and HOLD her on the nest!?!

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:

you crack me up! My hen just left her chicks at night to go back to her perch. It's a little sad but I just love the way they were already intergrated into the flock.... I had moved my other broody henout to a rabbit hutch & well you remember I'd been juggling them all around at first but 2 little scuffles in 1 afternoon & they've all been free ranging the yard ever since. I'll be curious to see when she leaves them if she goes back to the main coop & if they follow her. Right now they all go to where they were hatched. But I have to tell you I've just been in awe at how the girls introduced their chicks to the fock & no one dared screw with their chicks. & the Roo is funny to watch I swear he feeds the entire flock. It's too cute. This was SO much easier than when I intergrade chicks myself.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey walks with dog!

that is HI-larious! thanks for reposting. we give our biggest shepherd the dialogue "i luv my mamma' for every occasion... i think we'll start using "look corrrrrn' for our roosters, Fred and Big Pansy. hee hee hee hee



hows your lap turkey? our Mr Pipps got 'ugly' some time between last nite and this morning. my hubby and i just shook our heads sadly. sigh.

when i went out earlier today that crazy little banty had gone back and sat on a random egg. she's still there and its dinner time. sigh. she doesnt want to be alone, she doesnt want to set... i just dont know what to do but give her the big WHATever. she'll work it out. but i gave up managing her.

i think she was the one that say a lovely clutch of babies last year - during the hottest days - and as soon as they hatched she jumped up and ran away and never thought of them again. we brooded them and one of her daughters just hatched one lone, but very cute, chick and the other was a horrible setter - she killed the babies when they hatched and is now nuts.

so if this is the same gal, i'm going with "she's a ditz"

the scratch was just a two day affair. my ladies free range (get out there and free range 'cuz its FREE), get goats milk with cracked corn, and layer mix (at nite). mostly we have a good mix. just this one crazy chick!

 

[walkswithdog]

Yes, chicks reared with the whole flock by a good broody have a much easier time of acceptance by the group. Mine have little choice once the chicks leave the nest shelf about brooding on the floor but they all get along any way.

I still have one broody hiding herself in the juvenille coop but that was her decision. Hopefully she'll hatch those suckers and get moving again soon. She's in my way for cleaning. She always was a problem bird.

A good Roo and his whole flock is a precious thing indeed. Glad it went well.

 

[dancingbear]

Yeah, I have one that's going to go with "She's a ditz!", too. She won't be allowed eggs again. If eggs hatch under her, they die. She's the Death Mom, I guess. All my other broodies are good moms, so far.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

of course the best broody i have, Lil Buff (a buff brahma), isnt even remotely interested so far this year..... grrr...

oh well. still lots of hoots out there in the yard.

i'm mixing my 8 week old chicks that i ordered with the old guard. its VERY interesting to watch. the little ones are learning quickly and i cant wait for them to all start to roost together.

yay chickies!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
LOL well a good Roo is a good thing & this one must have heard that I had thought to replace him & so has become this "darling". The other day hubby gave them all blue berries & he was literally feeding them to chicks.... Now how can I replace him??? glad to hear it doesn't matter he's probably related to the girls...

If your broody girl wants another place in the juvenille coop then to me that's just her instinck to "hide her nest" & I would accomidate that too. I felt a little bad having moved the girl I did because the 1st girl did just fine where she was in the coop with the rest, but then the one I moved did seem comfy & re-introducing went pretty easy/smooth. I'll just be curious to see how her chicks are greeted back in the main coops when she decides to go there or if they'll stay behind in the one they were hatched in. It's been a real learning experience. As far as how long they sat I think my girls each got on their nest & sat for like 2 wks without moving. There were days I was worried they hadn't eaten anything or pooped but then I figured if they had to go bad enough or were hungry enough they'd get up. They both did just fine.

 

[barngem]

i also the first time she was there Henny, my ridiculous white leghorn, sat on the broody's head and had her egg right there. the broody just tucked it under her when Henny was done.

but good idea about marking the eggs tho

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Yeah, it's pretty standard procedure when setting eggs. Read some of the others threads about setting eggs under a broody, or even in an incubator, (esp. if there's any chance you may add more eggs to the 'bator later on) and you'll see over and over. "Mark The Eggs."

There are even long threads about what to use to mark the eggs. (I use a Sharpie.) I put the date set (some mark the expected hatch date) on them. That way if I forget to mark the calendar, and forget the date, I know when they're due to hatch. This is especially helpful with multiple broodies or staggered hatches in a 'bator.