Chicharron
In the Brooder
- Jun 14, 2023
- 25
- 19
- 44
So I had an Ayam cemani go broody and hatch some chicks. It was her first time, but my other first-timers have done great in the past, so what could go wrong, I thought? Well...
On hatch day, I shut her in the dog crate to isolate her and keep her safe from other hens. When I checked, there was a seemingly dead chick about a foot away from her. Couldn't have been another bird's doing, none could get in. I was about to bury it, but saw it twitch. Brought it inside and revived it, but it was never quite right and died shortly after. I should have listened to my gut and took the rest but thought maybe it was a fluke.
A couple days later, she's getting stir crazy in the crate so I let her and her babies out. She jumps out of the coop and runs off as fast as she can without even considering whether her chicks can keep up. Which they can't. She leaves them screaming their heads off in the middle of the yard while she goes for a dust bath. Meanwhile, they're totally defenseless. Other birds are harassing them, and I feel so bad that I scoop them up and bring them back to her. She just looks at them like, "Whatever."
While watching them, I notice she doesn't tidbit for them or really show them anything like my other broodies have done. It's like she's going about her usual business and they're just following along after her, and she pays them barely any mind.
Next up, I was outside and a hawk swooped out of nowhere. The hen flees as fast as she can, again leaving her babies defenseless. I think the hawk picked a chick up and dropped it (because I was screaming at it). The poor baby had serious wounds and died hours later. I've had another mother hen literally try to fight a hawk before, so her fleeing was disappointing.
Yesterday morning, I found yet another chick dead in the dog crate, which I close mom and babies in at night. No injuries, no clue what happened. A couple of hours later, I check on her and notice a chick has gone missing. Now she's down to just two.
Today was the last straw. I went out to fill up the feeder and she runs for the food as fast as she can, again leaving the babies alone clear across the yard. The neighbor's cat hears their screaming and starts stalking them through the bushes. I'm trying my best to keep the cat away while trying to catch the frantic chicks. He was inches from getting them. All the while, mom is in the coop stuffing her face, oblivious. I was so angry, I took them inside and put them in my brooder.
But now I feel kind of bad because the babies are screaming for her. I shouldn't give them back to her, though, right? I feel like if I do, I'll end up with no chicks at all.
On hatch day, I shut her in the dog crate to isolate her and keep her safe from other hens. When I checked, there was a seemingly dead chick about a foot away from her. Couldn't have been another bird's doing, none could get in. I was about to bury it, but saw it twitch. Brought it inside and revived it, but it was never quite right and died shortly after. I should have listened to my gut and took the rest but thought maybe it was a fluke.
A couple days later, she's getting stir crazy in the crate so I let her and her babies out. She jumps out of the coop and runs off as fast as she can without even considering whether her chicks can keep up. Which they can't. She leaves them screaming their heads off in the middle of the yard while she goes for a dust bath. Meanwhile, they're totally defenseless. Other birds are harassing them, and I feel so bad that I scoop them up and bring them back to her. She just looks at them like, "Whatever."
While watching them, I notice she doesn't tidbit for them or really show them anything like my other broodies have done. It's like she's going about her usual business and they're just following along after her, and she pays them barely any mind.
Next up, I was outside and a hawk swooped out of nowhere. The hen flees as fast as she can, again leaving her babies defenseless. I think the hawk picked a chick up and dropped it (because I was screaming at it). The poor baby had serious wounds and died hours later. I've had another mother hen literally try to fight a hawk before, so her fleeing was disappointing.
Yesterday morning, I found yet another chick dead in the dog crate, which I close mom and babies in at night. No injuries, no clue what happened. A couple of hours later, I check on her and notice a chick has gone missing. Now she's down to just two.
Today was the last straw. I went out to fill up the feeder and she runs for the food as fast as she can, again leaving the babies alone clear across the yard. The neighbor's cat hears their screaming and starts stalking them through the bushes. I'm trying my best to keep the cat away while trying to catch the frantic chicks. He was inches from getting them. All the while, mom is in the coop stuffing her face, oblivious. I was so angry, I took them inside and put them in my brooder.
But now I feel kind of bad because the babies are screaming for her. I shouldn't give them back to her, though, right? I feel like if I do, I'll end up with no chicks at all.
