Hi!
Below this is the original story about Earline, my broody hen, that tried to steal Pansy's one little chick. Here are how things are going now. Earline has just tagged along with Pansy and her chick since she came off her nest and, now, Pansy pretty much tolerates having this other "white on rice" chicken next to her at all times. The chick (which will be 4 weeks this Thurs.) is no longer afraid of Earline and will come over when Earline calls her to get the treat she found. Earline attacks any chicken, duck or dog (on other side of fence) that comes to close to her precious godchild. LOL Pansy is wandering further and further away from her chick, much to Earline's delight but the chick still definitely views Pansy as her mother. Pansy no longer makes the "follow me" noises but Earline clucks non-stop. I predict that Pansy will grow tired of being a mother in a couple of weeks and Earline will be waiting with open wings! I'll let you know!
Ellen
Original story:
I have a broody hen that has been sitting on air for 21 days, more or less, and, today, I encountered something I've never seen in my 4 years of keeping chickens. This is her first time and I didn't want to let her hatch eggs so I took them each day (eggs she rolled under her after another hen layed in her nestbox). I have another broody who I let hatch ONE chick because she's gone broody so many times I decided to let her have just one this time. The chick is 2 1/2 weeks and, up until today, all was calm and peaceful. But, this morning, when I opened the coop, Earline (the one who has no eggs or baby) was trying to steal Pansy's baby. They all came out and Earline followed Pansy wherever she went and would call the baby and try to get to it but Pansy would fight her off. Once, they almost had a knock down, drag out! The chick, of course, was frightened and kept trying to jump on it's mother's back. Earline was frantic. I managed to separate them with some chicken wire but Earline kept trying to get near the chick. If Pansy and her chick were pecking near the wire, Earline would lie down on the ground next to them and Pansy gave her a couple of good pecks through the fence. Earline ran around and around trying to get to them, all puffed up, making that broody noise and, once, she made the "come get this goody I found" noise to the chick, before I had managed to separate them. I now have Earline back in the coop and have her fenced in with food and water so she can't come out. After a half hour or so, she went back in the nest box but she's still very upset. Poor thing. I feel so sorry for her. Now, before you say to get her a baby or two, I am maxed out in numbers. In fact, my dh is very mad that I let Pansy hatch a chick although he's now accepted it after 2 1/2 weeks. I have 7 chickens and 2 ducks and that's more than I intended to have as I live in the suburbs, my coop is only 5' x 10' and I only want a few chickens for pets and company. I had up to 32 last year and gave them all away when a fox started picking them off. I'd rather have given them away than let him kill anymore. Now that I've started back up, so far, I've had no problems with them. I think they went away after they learned their free meals were gone. I never intended to have 32 chickens but it was my first time and you know how that goes! Started with 3 and kept getting, or hatching, more! Now, with only the 7 (counting baby chick), it is so much easier and more managable and I really do prefer it with a smaller number. And that's the only way I could get my husband to agree to let me get chickens again. He was fed up with 32 freeranging in our backyard. So I guess the only other choice, other than getting chicks for Earline, is to wait her out.
It's just that she wants chicks sooo badly and, if it weren't for my dh, I'd get her a couple. Sorry to be rambling on and on. This is the only place I can come where people will understand. Have any of you had a hen that tried to take another's babies away? If so, how did you handle it? Thanks for listening, if you got this far!!
Ellen
Below this is the original story about Earline, my broody hen, that tried to steal Pansy's one little chick. Here are how things are going now. Earline has just tagged along with Pansy and her chick since she came off her nest and, now, Pansy pretty much tolerates having this other "white on rice" chicken next to her at all times. The chick (which will be 4 weeks this Thurs.) is no longer afraid of Earline and will come over when Earline calls her to get the treat she found. Earline attacks any chicken, duck or dog (on other side of fence) that comes to close to her precious godchild. LOL Pansy is wandering further and further away from her chick, much to Earline's delight but the chick still definitely views Pansy as her mother. Pansy no longer makes the "follow me" noises but Earline clucks non-stop. I predict that Pansy will grow tired of being a mother in a couple of weeks and Earline will be waiting with open wings! I'll let you know!
Ellen
Original story:
I have a broody hen that has been sitting on air for 21 days, more or less, and, today, I encountered something I've never seen in my 4 years of keeping chickens. This is her first time and I didn't want to let her hatch eggs so I took them each day (eggs she rolled under her after another hen layed in her nestbox). I have another broody who I let hatch ONE chick because she's gone broody so many times I decided to let her have just one this time. The chick is 2 1/2 weeks and, up until today, all was calm and peaceful. But, this morning, when I opened the coop, Earline (the one who has no eggs or baby) was trying to steal Pansy's baby. They all came out and Earline followed Pansy wherever she went and would call the baby and try to get to it but Pansy would fight her off. Once, they almost had a knock down, drag out! The chick, of course, was frightened and kept trying to jump on it's mother's back. Earline was frantic. I managed to separate them with some chicken wire but Earline kept trying to get near the chick. If Pansy and her chick were pecking near the wire, Earline would lie down on the ground next to them and Pansy gave her a couple of good pecks through the fence. Earline ran around and around trying to get to them, all puffed up, making that broody noise and, once, she made the "come get this goody I found" noise to the chick, before I had managed to separate them. I now have Earline back in the coop and have her fenced in with food and water so she can't come out. After a half hour or so, she went back in the nest box but she's still very upset. Poor thing. I feel so sorry for her. Now, before you say to get her a baby or two, I am maxed out in numbers. In fact, my dh is very mad that I let Pansy hatch a chick although he's now accepted it after 2 1/2 weeks. I have 7 chickens and 2 ducks and that's more than I intended to have as I live in the suburbs, my coop is only 5' x 10' and I only want a few chickens for pets and company. I had up to 32 last year and gave them all away when a fox started picking them off. I'd rather have given them away than let him kill anymore. Now that I've started back up, so far, I've had no problems with them. I think they went away after they learned their free meals were gone. I never intended to have 32 chickens but it was my first time and you know how that goes! Started with 3 and kept getting, or hatching, more! Now, with only the 7 (counting baby chick), it is so much easier and more managable and I really do prefer it with a smaller number. And that's the only way I could get my husband to agree to let me get chickens again. He was fed up with 32 freeranging in our backyard. So I guess the only other choice, other than getting chicks for Earline, is to wait her out.
Ellen
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