jas humbert
Songster
After a poor incubator shipped eggs hatch- only 2 viable chicks, I decided to see if one of my 3 new broodies would take them. I didn't want to disturb the two other broodies since I've got more eggs hatching next week. I would have let the girls hatch instead of incubating but they are all under 9 months old and newly broody and I wasn't sure they would stick with the eggs since the 4th broody quit the day before my eggs arrived. . Dandelion (my avatar) is a champ., I moved her to a small pen in the garage with the one infertile egg that she has been faithully guarding. I added the chicks and she immediately stretched out her wings and took them in. I checked later and she ruffled her feathers at me and fussed when I tried to pick them up. She was showing them how to drink when I checked a few hours later. . Now they are snuggled under her, warm for the night and I'm off to bed. Next time she can hatch all the eggs she wants. I think a reliable broody is going to be a good thing!
), its been pretty much closed up by swelling, but she had a little slit open yesterday and the eye looked normal (what I can see, anyway). I guess the hawk ripping out her breast feathers triggered something, or maybe it was her rest time, but she's broody now! So, she's currently cooking 6 Silkie/Sizzle eggs. And when she went back into the coop, I was a bit worried the others would notice her eye and single her out. It was quite the opposite actually. She was a tiny terror for a little while, running around pulling on everyone else's feathers. She got in a fight with my roo, Joe, and whipped his booty too. She's in her broody pen now, but when she comes out, everyone gives her mean little butt a very wide berth! So happy my little meanie is gonna make it!
