- Apr 18, 2013
- 17
- 2
- 59
I feel a time line is important here. About 8 weeks ago a predator took 9 of my birds, in the day time, while they were happily free range grazing and I was scrubbing out the coop. We closed the remaining 4 up in the coop. Two weeks later my Orpington decided to go broody. Perfect timing. I bought fertile eggs and she is happily sitting on them. They are due tomorrow. While she was occupying a nesting box, my Easter egger decided to take up residence next door and was fouling the other box. I found a lot of wet bedding and a squished soft shell. I assumed she had caught the broody bug too. So I waited. She would sit in the box or on the floor of the coop. Good comb colour and bright eyes. The next day she was dead. Another Easter egger decides she wants to be a mum too and assumes permanent nanny duty on the fertile eggs. I divide the eggs between the two Broodie's. Everyone is happy. Fast forward three or so weeks. My cuckoo maran (not one of the setting hens) is doing the same thing as the dead ee. Sitting in the coop and I can see a deflated egg in the bedding. I'm going to quarantine her-but I'm very worried for the soon to hatch chicks. What could be going on?
Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance.
