But she's eating hay & moving around, but not as feisty as usual. Have to keep an eye on her the rest of the day.
Anyways. While I was in the barn the second (or third) time today, I heard peeping! Yeah, yeah, I know. How many hens am I going to let go broody, sit on a clutch for three weeks, then end up either eating her offspring or taking them to unsafe hiding spots at night to be eaten by a predator.
But I was still thrilled to hear peeping! Just one little peeper as of now, but there are still three or four more eggs under the hen.
Broody #2 was a very good chicken mommy. There were fourteen or sixteen to begin with. And then one day last week I saw her off the nest and a bunch of the eggs were gone. I was about to lop off her head for leaving the clutch & eating eggs, but then got busy with other farmish stuff. But thanks to my uncanny ability to procrastinate, she was spared. And then I found out where the eggs really went and why she was off the nest.
After relieving the hen house of at least one slithering, egg-eating reptile, I was still prepping myself for a totally failed hatch as the hen had abandoned her nest long enough for them to get cool. But I let her sit on the remaining eggs anyhow.
And I'm glad I did.
So, was it worth it to give up a month's worth of eggs from her (and another month before she starts laying again) for one measly little chick that is probably a rooster and will end up in the stew pot anyhow?
You bet'cha!
Paul's Take
No.
It most definitely was not worth it.
I don't want oatmeal for breakfast, I want eggs.
I love that - uncanny ability to procrastinate! Just tell Paul that oatmeal contains more fiber - and who knows? That little peeper might just be a hen! Do you want me to send a little GirlMojo down your way? It's been known to work wonders...
ReplyDeleteWhen you hear that peeping and see that little fluff ball, it's totally worth it! Congrats! :)
ReplyDeleteI with Paul on this one. Less mess cleaning it up and less energy input. Chicken is good and all that but eggs are just easier and tasty too.
ReplyDeleteNow if it turns out to be a hen, well it would be worth it then.
Congratulations, I hope it grows to be a hen, otherwise you could do what we do and just take away the eggs and incubate them. I wonder if you could do that and just pop a chick under her once they hatch? I've never tried.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why Mother Nature's way of getting baby chick is so difficult these days but it sure is for us. The biggest problems is trying to get the stubborn hens to give it up!
ReplyDeleteHas anybody else noticed that it seems that whether eggs are in an incubator or under a hen, the hatch rate isn't as good as it used to be?
ReplyDeleteI have chick envy. The new pullets have just started laying in the last two weeks. I found a secret pullet egg stash with 6 eggs in it today. I dated them and I'll wait till I get about 11 or so and see if anyone is willing to set them. The White Rock roo is doing his job with gusto. Just one little chick hatched from my own chickens would be so worth it. I just want to hatch out a baby chicken. Next I'll prolly be bitching that I want to just raise up one baby chicken to adulthood.
ReplyDelete