Weird Situation Update (With Pics)

[KrisRenee]

So ... I was supposed to have babies hatching on 8/1 but, on 7/28, a 4 1/2' rat snake & a copperhead ate all 13 eggs that we had given Ms. Chicken Lady to hatch. (Feral game hen that chose my garden for a nest.) I worked all last weekend in 100+ weather and finished the coop and run AND built the nesting box from , um ... that really hot place down yonder?

My friend that had originally given me the eggs misunderstood me and brought me 12 new ones - only chicken eggs this time & no guineas - on Friday 8/1 rather than waiting for Ms. Chicken Lady to get settled in, so I went ahead & tried figuring it would not work & I would have to wait for her to go broody again ...

On advice, I put a plastic milk crate on its side in one corner of the nesting box put some shavings in it and placed three eggs in it on Sunday eve (lid off box). She had not discovered the eggs by Monday am so, again on advice, I added three more eggs. Monday eve she still had not found eggs so I added three more (9 total). Monday LATE, I played stealth chicken mover and placed Ms. Chicken Lady next to but not on the eggs. Tuesday morning she never left the coop and was still lying next to the eggs. Tuesday eve ...

SURPRISE! Ms. Chicken Lady had pulled all 9 eggs out of the milk crate and under herself! I rolled the remaining three eggs next to her side and she pulled those under her, too! WOOHOO!!! I may yet have hatching fuzzy butts!!!

Here is her pic! (There IS laying feed in that enamelware dish - it is just all on this side. That is her favorite treat in there next to it - canteloupe rind with some left for her.)

Let's see a snake open that!!!

 

[chickens4jojo]

She looks like a great mother hen!

Let us know how it goes with the hatchingin 21 days or so!!!

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

hope you get a good hatch

 

[KrisRenee]

This may seem like an odd question(s) but what should she have in there? It has been over 100 degrees for forever here & I want her to be comfortable. Currently, I do have a fan that runs 24/7. As for food, I make sure that she has layer pellets in her dish at all times, fresh water daily and give her either small bits of tomato, strawberry tops or canteloupe rinds as a treat in the evening. She also has a little dish of tiny pebbles in a corner. Does she have everything that she needs?

Thanks!
Kris

 

[rooster-red]

Sounds to me like you've got everything covered. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[KrisRenee]

Thank you! I am very new at this and probably would not have done it at all except that we have all of these feral game birds around here and why should the snakes get all of the eggs? I guess I worry more because she is/was feral and was living in the forest with her flock ... a little bit of a guilt trip, maybe, because she is now cooped up. I just want her comfortable and happy.

 

[anana]

If that is a picture of your hen by your name then it looks like the chickens that I had when I lived in San Marcos TX many years ago. They were the best chicken ever, if a stray dog came onto my land they could fly up into the trees and get away from it. I used to empty out an egg and fill it with salt if I started having troble with skunks or racoons, they get that salt egg and get a tummy ache and leave you alone after that experience, well most of the time they won't come back. One time I had a chicken that had it's head bit off and I could not figure out what could of happened to it and the local conservation guy said they that is what skunks do. They bite the head off and drink the blood, really gross! He said possums follow skunks around and eat the belly of the chicken. I know this is gross but I sure wish I had known this. Texas has a lot of wild animals. I used oven grates and refrigerator wire shelves under the hardware wire or chicken wire on the coop windows. Some of those Texas racoons are as big as a small bear and can get into anything.

 

[anana]

I forgot to say if she was feral she may have mites or chicken lice, you may want to get some chicken dusting powder for her. I don't know if you can do this when she is setting but check her because chicks can get them from mom hen.

 

[KrisRenee]

Yep! That's her. We tried three times to build an enclosure around her where she was setting but it was difficult to completely enclose her due to vines, fence, railroad tie, etc ... snakes got the eggs every time! She finally trusts me enough to let me pick her up, feed her and such but it has taken awhile.

I live in the middle of Bastrop State Park so my surroundings are a little different than San Marcos or even most areas of Central Texas - I am in the middle of the forest (you know there are not many of those in this area). Also, Copperheads supposedly do not go any further west than Bastrop County? We have them EVERYWHERE!!! We have lots of others, too, but not in the quantity of the Copperheads.

I have only seen one racoon out here in three years, lots of possums and tons of deer (that are starving due to the drought). Her run is made from dog kennel chain link fencing to keep out skunks, coons & possums and then lined & covered with hardware cloth to keep out snakes. I am pretty sure that the only thing that could get in there is a human.

I'll do some online research about the mites & lice.

Thanks!

 

[anana]

I lived in the hill country on 15 acres that had never been lived on before except by the native americans hundreds of years prior. It had been part of a 3000 acre cattle ranch that the owners subdivided part out. From my front porch you could see about 4 miles to the Blanco river valley. There were huge live oaks, lots of mesquite, persimmon etc. But you are right the park is different than a lot of Texas. Your chicken enclosure sounds really varmit proof, you did a great job on it. That is one lucky hen! I wish I could send you some of the never-ending rain we have had this summer. At least there were hardly any ticks because they do not like wet, but the mosguitoes are making up for no ticks

. I live north of Kansas City Mo now on several acres that backs up to the woods. I hope you get to hear a whole lot of cheeping going on!