So a few weeks ago, two of my hens went broody. I don’t have any fertile eggs to give them, haven’t had a rooster in about a year now.
So I picked up some young birds (<5 day old, small babies with as few feathers as I can find) from my local feed store.
From the limited selection in the store, I got;
1 isa, 1 black sex link, 1 ameraucana, and 2 Rouen ducks.
The ducks is where it gets tricky. I reasonably think I can keep them alive, but can my birds do it?
I have a plan for when they’re big and potentially unable to share a house any longer, but my goal is to let my hens raise them as long as she can.
I got two since I didn’t want one to stick out as strange and get killed for it. But will the two be much better?
I usually never separate the broody’s and babies from the rest of the flock, just let mom figure it out but be ready to step in if there’s a problem. It’ll be an experience this time, but we’ll see how it goes.
Evening time. I stuck the babies under my Cochin before the rest of the birds tuck in for the night. She is talking to them and seems surprised but happy. She’s so cute and I’m hopeful she’ll take to the group well.
I had to go out a few times during the night to check in, the ducklings kept wandering and not staying under my hen. I’d look em over for injuries and then them back under her. I did this twice, was terrified to sleep with such wanderlust babies afoot.
Morning comes, the birds all wake and the hen continues to sit on her nest with the three chicks. The ducklings have come out yet again.
I’m out there at 4am because I was scared the other birds would hurt them. But my birds were terrified of these two little ducklings. I opened the coop and enclosure so the adult birds can get out and free range away from these scary babies.
I move a few things around, the hen gets up and gets food and water for herself. She’s not rejecting the chicks and ducklings, but it hasn’t quite clicked that she’s meant to care for them yet.
I make sure to take any remaining eggs away, when she settles back into the nest, all the chicks and ducklings are put next to her again and she welcomes them under her.
My other hens are in and out of the coop to make use of the other nesting boxes, but mom and babies seem undisturbed.
So I picked up some young birds (<5 day old, small babies with as few feathers as I can find) from my local feed store.
From the limited selection in the store, I got;
1 isa, 1 black sex link, 1 ameraucana, and 2 Rouen ducks.
The ducks is where it gets tricky. I reasonably think I can keep them alive, but can my birds do it?
I have a plan for when they’re big and potentially unable to share a house any longer, but my goal is to let my hens raise them as long as she can.
I got two since I didn’t want one to stick out as strange and get killed for it. But will the two be much better?
I usually never separate the broody’s and babies from the rest of the flock, just let mom figure it out but be ready to step in if there’s a problem. It’ll be an experience this time, but we’ll see how it goes.
Evening time. I stuck the babies under my Cochin before the rest of the birds tuck in for the night. She is talking to them and seems surprised but happy. She’s so cute and I’m hopeful she’ll take to the group well.
I had to go out a few times during the night to check in, the ducklings kept wandering and not staying under my hen. I’d look em over for injuries and then them back under her. I did this twice, was terrified to sleep with such wanderlust babies afoot.
Morning comes, the birds all wake and the hen continues to sit on her nest with the three chicks. The ducklings have come out yet again.
I’m out there at 4am because I was scared the other birds would hurt them. But my birds were terrified of these two little ducklings. I opened the coop and enclosure so the adult birds can get out and free range away from these scary babies.
I move a few things around, the hen gets up and gets food and water for herself. She’s not rejecting the chicks and ducklings, but it hasn’t quite clicked that she’s meant to care for them yet.
I make sure to take any remaining eggs away, when she settles back into the nest, all the chicks and ducklings are put next to her again and she welcomes them under her.
My other hens are in and out of the coop to make use of the other nesting boxes, but mom and babies seem undisturbed.
