A follow up on my saga of two hens on a nest.
Today I am off work and told myself I HAD to get this corrected as I would otherwise have an even bigger mess. Armed with determination, I set up one of the broody houses (a large dog house) and appropriate fence surround to contain the chicks. Then I went to the barn to "collect". Well BOTH hens were huddled tightly and went ballistic when I chose to collect the chicks into a deep bucket to transport.
I was actually attacked! Dive bombed!! Both going at me.
Got 4 chicks and grabbed a hen. At this point I figured it didn't matter which one. Carted them out to their new digs and watched that they settled in ok. Yep hen called and chicks collected under her! After a few, went back to barn to see how mom #2 was handling it. She was on the nest and began growling, ruffling, ready to fight me.
Feeling glad it was cool enough that I had a light jacket on me to protect my arms, I quietly reached in to slide a couple eggs back under her that had been in the nest extension for other hen to help.
2 were warm & as I slid them she stood to attack, at which point I hear some chirping. Bravely grabbed ruffle-butt hen, to look. Another was hatching, so gently set her down where she snuggled onto the eggs, still angry. Felt she would set a couple more days and maybe a few more would hatch. Had lost a chick I saw, with all the two of them moving, etc. 3 eggs were in a corner, cool to touch, so those will be tossed -- tonight, after dark! Will snatch new chick(s) and slide under #1 with others.
Hen #3 still on nest in another stall feeder and in a day or two I will add any eggs from under hen #2 to nest of #3. Then I will either cage hen 2 to break up her broodiness OR pen her with more eggs. She is the hen who "added" herself into the original broody nester, so has not been setting the entire time. Thus, another nest would not be an issue.
So far, no chicks hatching from hen #4 in the big trailer. But approx 15 eggs there. Will hatch
ETA within 10 dys. Trying to correct my sloppy start & get something from these gals because they aren't laying.
She was sitting on a hidden nest outside, as I thought (hoped) she was.
