Tragedy for the Broody Hen - but a happy ending (Funny update added!)

My poor black Silkie hen has been patiently sitting on eggs, they were due to hatch in 2 days. I gave her 10 to sit on, hoping half would be fertile but upon candling ALL were fertile! Mama is so dedicated that I have had to make her get up to poo and eat/drink each day. I bought 3 livestock watering troughs just for brooders - she's happily occupied one in the barn for weeks. Four days ago, our pony broke into the barn, made a huge mess of the feed area, and knocked her brooder over. I went to do chores, and she was in the barn trying to flog the pony, her brooder was a shambles and every egg was destroyed.

I tidied the barn back up and had a long talk with the pony, shed some tears with Mama, and tried to convince her that she should take a break, hang with her girls, then we'd try again. However, she has refused to leave the barn and rejoin her girlfriends in the coop. She insists on sitting in the empty trough, and won't listen to reason. So yesterday I was picking up some supplies at TSC and they received their chick shipment. I go to check over their new arrivals, and one box is full of very tiny assorted feather-footed bantams! I picked out some of the neatest color varieties, including a vaulted-skull silkie chick that appears to be a very pale buff with gray. Took them home, put them in the brooder with mama to see what would happen, crossesd my fingers, and 5 minutes later they were all under her while she clucked happily. So... I guess I'll be posting pics soon and asking for recommendations on our adoptee's breeds. Silkies are the only feather-footed bantams I have, so I've not a clue what these others are, besides cute.

We adore Mama, and I'm just so happy that a solution presented itself. She's the sweetest hen, even sweeter when broody (unless you're a pony), and was the only Silkie that survived the "Stray Dog Massacre of 2010". She has a very special place in our hearts.

 

We had 22 chickens last fall - our beginner flock. Some a friend gave me to get started, some I'd purchased, etc... Anyways I was home sick one day, all the dogs were in the house enjoying mom being on the couch with a blanket. This was an unusual day, because even our Australian Shepherd Toby (the farm protector), was inside with me. Apparently some stray dogs passed through our farm that afternoon and killed all but 4 of our chickens. None were mauled or eaten, just slaughtered. It was terrible. Mama was able to hide under the coop and avoid them - we didn't even know she was there until that evening, she'd hidden so well. The dogs also made the mistake of harrassing our neighbors livestock that same day, and he took care of them before we could. Unfortunately, it's a usual problem in KY, especially where we live. It's a common dumping area for dogs.

So.. Mama has been very special to me ever since.