Slight panic

[red46]

I haven't prepared for babies but allowed 2 hens to brood. I had no idea there was about 2 dozen eggs between them until today. When I caught another hen running around with a baby chick in its mouth I panicked.
I managed to fix them up a spot that's actually a pen built for a goat but never used. I scrambled, got chicken wire around the bottom, turned 2 deep rubber tubs on the side then found 2 short wide containers I could use straw to build a nest.
I brought both moms along with their eggs out of the henhouse(they couldn't stay where they were) and into the make shift nests. Even though it's dark, they are still fretting, trying to get out and back to the henhouse and not sitting the eggs.

It's getting cold out. How long can I trust the eggs without mom sitting on them? I don't have an incubator. I do have a heat lamp and thermometer but don't know how well that would work out. Or is it time to holler for someone who earlier said they have an incubator and would take the eggs?

 

[esther5]

i only just saw your post. did they settle down in the end. so sorry to hear about it. i so hope it worked out ok.
xx esther

 

[red46]

Well, I got them moved and waited almost 2 hours. It was after dark so I expected them to give up and settle but ....oh no...not my girls. I caved, let them follow me to the hen house where they gratefully ran inside. I fetched their eggs and put them back and they went straight back to them. I give. I guess the idea is for me to butt out my nose from their business. haha Obviously too late for a move so I'm just waiting and watching. I may have to do some quick building to provide little ones a ramp of sorts or gather them up and bring them in. sigh

Thank you for noticing the post. Feeling a little sheepish.

 

[esther5]

broody hens can be very determined...
hope it all works well.
when i let my hens go broody they are in wooden boxes with a door i can shut, rather like a small hutch. it's easy to move them as i pick the whole thing up and leave the door shut overnight. they never seem to notice they've been moved. other times i build a pen round them...

hope all works well.
xx esther

 

[red46]

Out of 10 hens, I kept seeing one that seemed to want to go broody but then she'd run off and let the eggs get cold, so I'd bring them in. So when these 2 were doing the same thing, I let it go for the day, thinking they would again run off to play instead of setting but then it went into day 2. When both of them started giving me stern warnings, I decided to let them go ahead and practice...Right? oops wrong...they were deadly serious and already too late for changes. Found myself in a pickle about what to do.

Now I don't even think I could get them to use a box, they are so accustomed to the wall mounted nests. sigh so now I"m thinking I just might have to be ready to catch babies.