- Jun 6, 2012
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This is embarrassing to admit. Irresponsible is a word that comes to mind. I have been contending with broody hens all summer. In August one defeated me. I gave her two exotic chicks that a friend had received with her ten “broiler” chicks. With the understanding that my friend would take them back if they turned out to be Roos. please note here that I don’t eat chicken. And I have had struggles dealing with cockerels. We currently have a buff polish cock who is only alive cuz I’m such a bleeding heart and don’t have it in me to have him killed.
So, one of my speckled Sussex who barrels through our fencing daily disappeared overnight. Then reappeared the next day only to disappear again. Then she returned with a couple of turkeys. (We live in the country.) my husband figured she’s living in the wild side. I suspected broodinesss. We locked her into coop area for overnight. Next day she went MIA for a week. She returned. Long story short, I followed that determined broody hen until I found her nest with nine eggs.
Here comes the irresponsible cra cra part. We moved her into the break-the-broody-hen dog cage but only after I had filled it with hay and water and food and covered it with a tarp so it was dark and cozy for nesting. We are now at approximate day 18? 19? I might even suspect I will find a chick under her this morning when I go out.
We allowed this in no small part as she kept flying away. I’m convinced she would have just disappeared again and created another nest and possibly been eaten. (All this happened too as we were away and not around to keep eye on things and our chicken sitter afraid of rooster and and and. This being a form of denial and justification for bringing possibly nine mutt chicks into the world in late September in Southern NH. My luck, they will all cockerels and we already have 16 chickens. We have room in coop but really??)
This is all to ask if I take the eggs away now, well, can I? Will they hatch anyway. Is there a forum for humans who are so submissive to their chickens that all common sense deserts the human?
Thank you
Toe
So, one of my speckled Sussex who barrels through our fencing daily disappeared overnight. Then reappeared the next day only to disappear again. Then she returned with a couple of turkeys. (We live in the country.) my husband figured she’s living in the wild side. I suspected broodinesss. We locked her into coop area for overnight. Next day she went MIA for a week. She returned. Long story short, I followed that determined broody hen until I found her nest with nine eggs.
Here comes the irresponsible cra cra part. We moved her into the break-the-broody-hen dog cage but only after I had filled it with hay and water and food and covered it with a tarp so it was dark and cozy for nesting. We are now at approximate day 18? 19? I might even suspect I will find a chick under her this morning when I go out.
We allowed this in no small part as she kept flying away. I’m convinced she would have just disappeared again and created another nest and possibly been eaten. (All this happened too as we were away and not around to keep eye on things and our chicken sitter afraid of rooster and and and. This being a form of denial and justification for bringing possibly nine mutt chicks into the world in late September in Southern NH. My luck, they will all cockerels and we already have 16 chickens. We have room in coop but really??)
This is all to ask if I take the eggs away now, well, can I? Will they hatch anyway. Is there a forum for humans who are so submissive to their chickens that all common sense deserts the human?
Thank you
Toe
