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What do you think?

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Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 14 9:08 pm Post subject: What do you think?

I have a determined hen sat tight on the most foul duck egg mess.
they are obviously not any good. gone past 35 days etc.
I have left her be so far but today, the duck sat on her own pile i gave her a week later started to hatch out.(cute!)
I feel sorry for the hen. she is grumpy and nasty, has been throughout, but she has tried really hard...
if, if, i can get my hands on some day old chicks when would be the best time to try and substitute them for the rank eggs?
In your experience, oh wise ones, can they be fooled?

help!

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 14 10:08 pm Post subject:

i regularly foster chicks onto hens - I got advice from the good people here

I use chicks that are 1-2 days old, and slip them under the hen at night. and whilst doing that, steal the eggs. It's always a worry that the hen might reject them, but so far they have always accepted them. I pop one under and see if she clucks, if she pecks my hand then its good. I hold the chick in my hand so the hen can only see that back of my hand, not the chick

I would go for it - so long as I was sure the chicks were day old,... not older- I think sometimes those sold at market are older.

chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Sat Jun 21, 14 10:12 am Post subject:
Yes, it's definitely worth trying. No older than day old though - and do it at night.

Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Sat Jun 21, 14 9:09 pm Post subject:
Thank you both.

Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 14 8:41 pm Post subject:

I went to the chicken lady, Madame La Poule. She sold me 6 chicklets, 3 white, 3 cou nou. ?sp.(the ones with the oven ready necks!)
Grumpy broody went bonkers and attacked me and my OH. The chicks were terrified. we left her with them for a couple of hours. it is warm here at the moment but she showed no interest. when she pecked one that ventured her way i intervened. in doing so i aroused the wrath of the hen with 3, week old chicks. she was most aggrieved that the chicks that could be hers, were distressed.
so we did some quick shuttling of squeaking bundles and after i had been pecked, a lot, they have been adopted by the other hen.
looking at the size of them i was silly to have tried as i am sure they are probably nearer a week old.
the are starting to follow her, and copying the 3 she has had all along. hopefully they will be ok now.
when i went last they were all bundled beneath her keeping warm and she is very protective. so fingers crossed.
i took the chance to clear out the old nest of the evil broody while she was soaking in a dust bath and i have given her 7 new chicken eggs to keep her happy. she seems determined to sit and after being the victim of one of her hissy fits i have decided she is probably strong enough to keep going. she trotted straight back in to the nest box sat and shuffled the eggs beneath her chest, glowered at me and shut her eyes.
they do make me chuckle.

Woo

Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 14 3:45 pm Post subject:
tucked in with their adopted Mum. there are 9 in there somewhere. sorry about the poor quality picture with the dodgy date stamp.

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