NEEPS

KitchenKleet

My sneaky little chook has been missing for 4-5 days as she's one of my original canny broody mongrels I was confident she had not been eaten. She did the same thing 3 weeks previously when we couldn't find her eggs for 2 weeks, went missing for a day, and found her sat on them, removeing the eggs shook her out of it. She reappeared in the garden today an hour ago so I've been spying on and trailing her and she has made an even more hidden nest that I would never have found! Considering the amount of time she's now been sat on them they would be waste if I removed them.

I can't decide weather to leave her to it and and take her chances, or try and find a rabbit hutch or something quickly! This particular hen may well not like being moved tho shes not as easy going as her sister. She did miss out hatching some this year as she wasn't the first to go broody at the new house, and she seems pretty insistent about it! However I don't want her being munched as I've already lost 3 chooks to a stoat in the last 2 months. Plus is a bit late in the year for this!

What would you do neepsters? Would anyone be interested in some top notch broodys, they are literally 3 weeks on 3 weeks off all spring, summer and apparently autumn!? Her two sisters have reared 3 batches this year and would have been more is I hadn't moved house and didn't want to move young chicks.

Odd thing is I had a dream this morning that she came back!

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KitchenKleet · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject:

Grr now wise old hen has pulled the same trick, do you think they have a smiddgen of a chance in this cold?
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Who cares about a little chicken poo on the carpet?

Townie · Moderator Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 2724 Location: Fife

I guess its a tricky one... on one hand it would be a shame to put her off sitting, by trying to move the eggs to a hutch and hope that she will continue to sit.. but

There is also the worry of chicks hatching at this time of year, it is getting a lot colder outside now and how would they fair?

Do you let nature take its course or do you intervene..

Whatever you choose to do I wish you and your hen well

Maidenstone · Neepster Joined: 14 May 2008 Posts: 303

I often used to get raised broods of chooks in October - I thought of it as a last chance to do it before winter set in. As long as the hen has a big fluffy skirt the chicks can hide under for warmth they should be all right. This was always far less risky than having a fox around ... which is why I haven't got hens now until I get my henhouse moved and decent fencing put round it.
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Sassinak · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject:

Can you rig up some sort of temporary fencing round her?
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KitchenKleet · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:44 pm Post subject:

Not where shes sat no. I have moved broodys numerous times before (even to another house in the middle of the day) and never had one get up.

My indecision is by default going to become a decision to leave them, that's a week already now!
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Who cares about a little chicken poo on the carpet?

KitchenKleet · Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:00 pm Post subject:

Well not going to let that happen again, she and her cluth were eaten the night before last.

So the other one and her clutch have been removed.
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Who cares about a little chicken poo on the carpet?

Sassinak · Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject:

Oh I'm so sorry :-(
and she must have been so close to hatching them by now.
Big hugs
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