Okay, first I'm still fairly new at this. Got a small flock of grown hens about 2 years ago. Then last year got 15 chicks from MPC and 10 more from Tractor Supply. Other than a few wrinkles (lost 1 to pasty butt) that went well, for a newbie.
This year I got 10 more from MPC, lost 1 at 5 weeks to weasel. Problem fixed.
Now I'm dealing with broody hens. 1 BO successfully hatched out 5 eggs. Kept them in till 2 weeks then let them go to free range with others. Momma quit watching them at about 5 wks but they are fine except lost 1 to a cat :-(
Now I have 2 others. I posted about them a couple of weeks ago.
Cochin nested in nesting boxes, which as a newbie and not knowing better, put them up too high (about 3 ft) with a long ramp. Knowing that chicks would surely die falling down the ramp, After 10 days of sitting, I moved her to a large dog kennel on hen house floor. Smooth. Went straight to setting. Left her there with water and feed for 3 days. This morning around 9:30 I opened kennel door, thinking she was ready to move out when she needed, and trusted she'd go back. Wrong! Just went to check on everyone and feed some treats and found her up in original nesting box - sitting on NO eggs - and her original eggs were cold. So I have no idea how long she's been out. I put her back in kennel anyway.
2nd broody is an EE who nested under side porch - way up under - so I moved her to my chick brooder box. checked on her a half hour later and she was sleeping next to the eggs. I moved her on the eggs. No problem. Next day I opened lid to brooder box so she could come and go, but after an hour she wouldn't go back. I caught her and put her back on eggs and closed the lid and haven't opened it since. She's on the eggs - 9 total - but a couple aren't directly under her and she seems to have no interest in pushing them back.
I'm thoroughly frustrated! Let me tell you, I have poured over these forums for answers since I discovered it over a year ago, so I do read and research. I have books on chickens with worn out spines. But I simply don't know what to do here. Should I continue to let Cochin sit on eggs that I know had gotten cold? She has about 6 days left to hatch date. Or should I take her out, ditch the eggs, and try to stop her from brooding? Or should I take those eggs tonight, putting freshly laid eggs under her and wait it out for another 21 days? She can't count days, can she? Will she sit there for another 21?
And what about the EE??
I truly value everyone's expertise here - I sure don't have any!
This year I got 10 more from MPC, lost 1 at 5 weeks to weasel. Problem fixed.
Now I'm dealing with broody hens. 1 BO successfully hatched out 5 eggs. Kept them in till 2 weeks then let them go to free range with others. Momma quit watching them at about 5 wks but they are fine except lost 1 to a cat :-(
Now I have 2 others. I posted about them a couple of weeks ago.
Cochin nested in nesting boxes, which as a newbie and not knowing better, put them up too high (about 3 ft) with a long ramp. Knowing that chicks would surely die falling down the ramp, After 10 days of sitting, I moved her to a large dog kennel on hen house floor. Smooth. Went straight to setting. Left her there with water and feed for 3 days. This morning around 9:30 I opened kennel door, thinking she was ready to move out when she needed, and trusted she'd go back. Wrong! Just went to check on everyone and feed some treats and found her up in original nesting box - sitting on NO eggs - and her original eggs were cold. So I have no idea how long she's been out. I put her back in kennel anyway.
2nd broody is an EE who nested under side porch - way up under - so I moved her to my chick brooder box. checked on her a half hour later and she was sleeping next to the eggs. I moved her on the eggs. No problem. Next day I opened lid to brooder box so she could come and go, but after an hour she wouldn't go back. I caught her and put her back on eggs and closed the lid and haven't opened it since. She's on the eggs - 9 total - but a couple aren't directly under her and she seems to have no interest in pushing them back.
I'm thoroughly frustrated! Let me tell you, I have poured over these forums for answers since I discovered it over a year ago, so I do read and research. I have books on chickens with worn out spines. But I simply don't know what to do here. Should I continue to let Cochin sit on eggs that I know had gotten cold? She has about 6 days left to hatch date. Or should I take her out, ditch the eggs, and try to stop her from brooding? Or should I take those eggs tonight, putting freshly laid eggs under her and wait it out for another 21 days? She can't count days, can she? Will she sit there for another 21?
And what about the EE??
I truly value everyone's expertise here - I sure don't have any!