Broodies on the Homestead

[Mini Horses]

Oh, NO! At least you were able save the others. That's a good thin.

I just came in from the barn....yes, it's late. But home from work at 7:40 doesn't leave a lot of daylight. On way off back porch I check into the pen for hen & 6 chicks from last week...not in there. She's gotten out last 2 days & I let them out yesterday for couple hrs, closed up pen when she took them in. I'm looking under everything anywhere close. Close up all coops. Get flashlight, keep looking. It starts to shower Great!

Decide she could have flown into barn & gotten them to go thru a chain link gate at one end. Didn't flip lights as I had flashlight & wasn't by the switches. Not there. Decide to check on hen setting 7 eggs (just hatched this musical chair one) & go into stall by her, reach down to pull her up and there I notice a black slithery thing! Yep about 3 inches from her & me. I'm sure it's a rat snake....doesn't matter....he is NOT GETTING these eggs due to hatch 7/8 !! So, with flashlight in hand I grab a board leaning up in there and pound. He moved, me too. I slam it several times & know it didn't do enough damage but, didn't feel good -- I was hammering!!! Go get machete & he's disappeared. Look where he was and find an opening about 2X2 between the block foundation & wood frame of stall wall.. Go to other side & look for it. Then sprayed some strong cinnamon oil onto the opening and surround hen about 3' out. Hope it keeps it out!!! they don't like spices. (all 7 eggs still there!)

thinking...dummy!! you are after a snake in the dark with a flash light.And you hate snakes!!! Not gonna have those eggs without a fight! Back out to find that hen with chicks. All the tall grasses, etc. FIND her! As I suspected, all chicks tucked in. Back into barn, dry bucket for chicks, grab her (she's wet but they are toasty & dry ) Under protest I put them all back into their dry hut for the night. She's settled in now.

Lone chick is snuggling to a hot water bottle until siblings hatch out. I will place some traps for snake in AM. Don't think it will return tonight, not across that wet cinnamon oil spray!

This is what I got home to after a 10 hr work day. Don't make me mad, I'll fight That snake wiil not live long. It's young, maybe 3-4' . If I catch it alive will take to the river about 5 miles away....probably won't be alive.

 

[Mini Horses]

I keep some dog kennels and small "cages", if you will, that fit right in front of the kennel (pvc & wire). Then I can put hen & chicks in them, they can wander in controlled area for first week or so, then are allowed more area.

My hen with 6 10 day old chicks attacked me as I was trying to help a chick for her!! Leave them alone & they figure it out. Yep, another hen isn't allowed near for about 2 weeks it seems. Then they have chicks trained to follow as they call, loosen their intense mingling control and begin to help them navigate the rules of a flock. I've been watching closely to develop a more helpful understanding of "mom raising the chicks" and the timelines for their lives.

My group of 2.5-3 month olds are on their own (since about a month ago). They still have the same routine for where they wander to forage, interration with flock is good and they are accepted well, all seem to know their boundaries with who is where in the pecking order (no pun intended) & are allowed in the big coop without issue. They still do not roost there but, will be transitioned in about a month.

It's quite fascinating to learn their body & vocal language for day to day activities. Some hens are really (!!!) fierce moms. Today I should have hatch on 5 eggs left.

 

[sumi]

She came out to eat this afternoon and I penned her up without the eggs. I have no idea where they are… She seems o.k. being in the pen, thankfully. I was expecting some fuss or protest from her, but she's quite happy in there.

 

[Hinotori]

30 out of 36 hatched. One chick died.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Woohoo! Congrats on the chicks!

Few weeks back I took about 15 eggs out from under a broody because there were three hens fighting over the nest and breaking eggs. And, because every time I've had baby chicks hatch outside something gets almost every one of them. I'm thinking it's rats...ugh. Gracie is a really good ratter - but Gracie just likes to catch any little critter that moves very fast. Rats move fast - but so do baby chicks....sigh. So, I took those eggs and put 'em in the incubator and so far 14 of the 15 have hatched. I was soooo NOT expecting that, lol! Now I have a buncha chicks that I guess I'll havta take care of. I do have chicken tractor that I might drag outta the corner of the yard and see if I can slip a broody in there one night and convince her that she hatched a big ol' clutch of chicks. Maybe...

 

[NH Homesteader]

We'll be doing the same, selective hatches next year. Sounds like a pain, my husband is in charge, lol!

 

[goatgurl]

just have to share some pictures of my broodies. not all chickens but good mama's none the less. first pic is a BA who hid her nest and presented me with 5 fuzzy black babies. second pic is of one of my dark Cornish hens who sat on and hatched a dozen muscovie ducklings, she was so confused when they started jumping in the water pan. last but not least is one of my muscovie hens who hatched 14 babies. I've got 2 more chickens setting on nests so well have to wait to see what they have. so far I have a total of 30 baby ducks and 7 chicks. i'm having so much fun watching them. i've had a horrible time with black snakes this year. have lost two chicken nests and two duck nest to them. we've gone to war. I've never bothered them before but they have gone to far this year.

 

[NH Homesteader]

My EEs and wheaten ameraucana have been pretty friendly birds. Except for the odd colored EEs I got one year. The biggest issue I've had with them is that they will pluck and eat each others feathers if their food protein drops below 20 percent. They do like their space and to roam.

So my dorking roo is currently living with a dorking hen, 3 EE's and 2 White Orpingtons. Looks like someone is ripping out his tail feathers. I'll have DH pick him up and check him out more closely later.... Anyway, I'm thinking either my big roo got him through the fence or my EE's have the same issue as yours. I'm glad I vaguely remembered you posting this! I honestly am not thrilled about having to feed them 20% protein, especially in winter feed amounts, it's $ 4 more a bag, and they're not a breed I'm overly attached to.

 

[NH Homesteader]

thanks, my goats are finally losing that layer of belly fat that can attest to me taking (too) good care of my animals lol!

 

[Beekissed]

Another record here at Fox Run...got a broody. Earliest broody attempt I've ever had, but I'm not surprised. The egg counts have risen quickly, the shells firmed up and the eggs sized out quicker than normal this year too. My window of opportunity to pen the rooster in the broody ward may have closed already.

I'll see if she's serious~she wouldn't get off the nest to eat and she attacked anything I stuck in her face, but would not move off the eggs~ and then I may have to get my broody ward up and running sooner than expected. She is a hen that went broody in her pullet year, which is pretty unusual here. She's a WR/BA mix and has always been a good layer, came into lay on time in her pullet year and is now showing me some good stuff by going broody early...she's 2 yrs old now.