Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

But Blackbeard has her own ideas. She disappeared a few days ago so I assumed that damn fox got her. She showed up Saturday morning, all fluffed up, growling and attacking the other hens. Oh boy....more babies. Perhaps I should mention the fact that I already had 3 broodies out of 6 hens... make that 4 broodies now. Lol. I knew a couple of the hens were laying but I couldn't find their nest...Blackbeard obviously knows. Lol I guess I'll know how many in about 2 weeks.

Yup I've never had as many broodies as this year, hiding their nests and showing up with more chicks I don't want.

@Penny you’re done wHEN they say you’re done lol

Yup this year the feature film is "Attack of the Broodies"!!! Lol

I just got through a wave of angry clucking hens trying to go for round three of hatching. I had everyone nicely laying again and pow! Two more down last night, they have been sent to hatching jail as repeat offenders!

So many broodies, it's crazy. And, I'm finding the mothers are abandoning their chicks quite young, 3-6 weeks, so they can lay eggs and go again. With how warm it's been, they've been slow to feather, too. Every night I check on puddles of "orphaned" chicks. A couple have been pecked, trying to sleep with mum, and being driven away.

Last two I set didn't fare so well. Ended up eating their eggs for some reason. Maybe because it was so hot? Started with 8 eggs each, when they got it down to two, I took the eggs and put them out with the flock. Only one hung on broody like for a day. I wish one more would go for me still this season. One of my old reliables has not set this year.

OMG.....I just had 3 more girls go down and broody this week...that makes 6!!!!!
What the heck? Is it the weather......this is craziness .

Kbr42 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:57 am

OMG.....I just had 3 more girls go down and broody this week...that makes 6!!!!!
What the heck? Is it the weather......this is craziness .

I wonder as well if it's the weather, I thought it was just my girls but everyone seems to be having the same things happening. Including early abandonment, usually by four weeks the hens start laying and forget about the chicks. Lucky for me these guys seem to be real heritage types, the chicks are fully feathered and perch on the roosts by four or five weeks, so they actually do better when I give them their own pen. Odd considering last year I couldn't get them to hatch at all. I thought the hens from last year didn't have the hatching genes, this year they would have had three by now if I let them.

So #16 is wandering around looking forlorn because the kids won't listen anymore. They are 12 weeks and she has mothered them for much longer than normal, heaven help the jennie that gets near them though. 2 went down for a second go and hatched all of them, they merged the kids in 2 days and are co-mothering again. 2 more Jens have been wanting to go but I haven't let them because currently I have 21 poults oh well . My regular broody chickens did not go at all this year although the sister to @SusanH bird is trying. I don't want her to because she isn't in good enough condition AND is starting to moult.

Well, my mom abandoned her five a week 6. They have been doing well with everyone except for during the day. I keep them separate. But they take themselves off to bed and perch on the top perch...lol

My next Mom is o week 4 and she's not even showing any interest in putti g them in the coop at night yet. I've been bring them in the house.

Now I have 6 more broody hens.....I can't keep up...lol anyone else notice that some of the broody girls sound a little chesty? I think it's from sitting and not movi g around with this humidity. Just wondering if anyone has seem it?

Cheers Karen