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Barnyard Buddies:  OMG I have a "peep"....NOW WHAT?  |
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Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
105 Posts
Anne
Wisconsin
USA
105 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 10:20:22 AM
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ok, long story short, "they" (family and friends)all made fun of me, the rooster hadn't wintered well and the theory is no one had seen him breed a hen in forever. The hens had stopped laying pretty much so we were trying to figure out what if anything was wrong. We are obviously "new" to chickens.
A couple rock buff bantam hens, a couple dark leghorn bantams, and another bantam I can't think of what breed (too excited) and a bantam dark leghorn roo.
Well 1 little hen was still laying and wanting to sit, so I decided to let her. Ahe Worked her way up to 8 eggs under her.
Well she was/is a little bantam rock hen and one of the larger (still bantam) dark leghorn hens decided to sit those eggs this last week. (it's been about 3 weeks since the first eggs were being sat on.)
Today I went out to "check" and an egg appeared to be just out from under the hen so I went to tuck it gently back in.
Guess what it was half of an empty shell!
An hour later I could hear "peeps" coming out from under that hen.
They are up in the "favorite" nesting box, about 2 ft off the ground, so I'm guessing I will probably have to move them down??? sometime soon.
Right now the hen definitely is NOT interested in being moved.
My thought was to move the hen, any peeps and the eggs down into a cage I can put on the floor of the hen house, to keep the hen and chicks safe and provide "chick starter" for the little ones.
Sound safe, ok or crazy?
I would like to leave the chicks with the hen if possible and when they are really mobile let them out.
Crazier, or ok?
advice is appreciated.
Anne
"Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice...."
website havencroft@havencroftminis.com
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 10:40:14 AM
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I think it's always best to leave the chicks with the hen...she'll teach them what they need to know, keep them the right temperature, and keep them safe. I think I'd move them into a cage on the floor. When we've had broody hens that we were going to let sit, we'd put them in a dog kennel in the barn to keep the peeps away from the other hens (they can be snotty) until they were old enough to integrate into the flock. Good luck and have fun!
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 11:15:13 AM
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She will be taking those chicks out of that box probably within the day. I would get out there and either move her or get a ramp built so they don't get hurt jumping out of the box.
Congrats!
Lillian |
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
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Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
105 Posts
Anne
Wisconsin
USA
105 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 1:50:32 PM
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ok,
so I moved the hen and peep and remaining eggs.
This is now one unhappy hen who shows no inclination to sit back down now that she's not where she was.
bummer
I don't see any signs of her settling in she's quite upset.
Any hope??
Now I'm sorry I didn't just leave her alone for the day.
Anne
"Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice...."
website havencroft@havencroftminis.com
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 2:00:44 PM
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Did you shut her in the cage with the eggs? How's she reacting to the chick?
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
105 Posts
Anne
Wisconsin
USA
105 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 7:37:46 PM
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Well I gave up,
neither the hen I moved or the one who originally wanted them so bad would have anything to do with them once they were moved.
So... after all this time (I put and infra red bolb over them in the meantime to try and keep them warm) I put them back in the original nesting box and that little bantam rock hen with them and she settled right in immediately.
At least they are warm for the night.
Guess I will have to play this by ear and too much interference may cost me the rest.
For now Mother hen and Mother Nature are in charge.
Anne
"Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice...."
website havencroft@havencroftminis.com
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 8:07:39 PM
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Good luck with the new chick.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Barnyard Buddies: OMG I have a "peep"....NOW WHAT? |
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OMG I have a "peep"....NOW WHAT?
