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gardengalrn

I have a momma!

gardengalrn
14 years ago

One of my Buff Orpingtons has been trying like crazy to sit on some eggs. I finally gave in and let her go ahead and set. I had asked here about moving her and I ended up just leaving her where she was at because I honestly didn't think it would amount to much. So one day last week I went in the coop and found a dead chick on the floor :( So I knew then that at least one egg was fertile and it was time. So I moved all the eggs to another part of the coop separate from the others and sat her on her eggs. Within 2 days, 4 chicks had hatched!!! Just today I removed the other eggs because she is so busy with the babies she hardly sets anymore. That was a pretty nasty job, let me tell ya. It was interesting to note that of the 9 I pitched, all but one was fertile. I guess my Iowa Blue roo is a busy guy ;) There are 2 choc brown, 1 that looks more black, and one black with a yellow splash on its head. I'm excited, I hope they all make it. Lori

Comments (6)

  • ahbee01
    14 years ago

    I just love momma hens! Congrats! She did a fine job. I didn't have a great success rate this year, My hens played musical nests. So a hen was never on the same nest she started out on, so next time I have more then one broody, I will mark the eggs,or try to move the broodies to the broody pen i have!
    It is crazy when 4-5 hen are broody at once!
    I had one hen hijack a nest, she was only broody a day, or 2 when a chick was born, boy was she confused, all she wanted to do was set on eggs, so i had to move her with the baby and take the rest of the eggs away. She ended up ditching her baby, when another momma's hatched, that momma adopted the baby though, even though it was clearly bigger then her peeps!
    Good luck, momma hens do a great job mothering their young!

  • brendasue
    14 years ago

    Those Buffs make great moms. Have a few here we let set, they were excellent mommas.

    Congratulation on the new additions.
    Brendasue

  • gardengalrn
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks, I think she is an excellent mother as well. She has rooted and scratched an entire bale of straw out all over the floor of the part of the coop she is in. She puffs all up when I go in there and constantly clucks and chucks to her babies. They mind, too, unlike their human counterparts, LOL. Lori

  • gardendawgie
    14 years ago

    Yes if my kids listened that would be such a blessing. Of course my grand daughter is such a genius and I am so dumb. She does not need anyone. Well she wants my money but not my advice.

    Next lifetime I will be a mother hen. That will fix my grand daughter's clock. She will be a chicken. We will see how smart she is then.

  • sheryl_ontario
    14 years ago

    Congrats on the new babies! That is so sweet! None of my hens would set on a nest this year. I might get a few different breeds next spring.

  • gardengalrn
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Sheryl, the Buff Orpingtons love to brood, which can sometimes be a pain. I've got an Amaraucana and a Production Black that are also trying to brood but I won't let them. Production Blacks aren't supposed to want to go broody but she always has been the broodiest of my hens. You might try a few of the Buffs, they are excellent layers when they aren't trying to become mothers :) Lori

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