[Gardening Mark]

I had a broody Bantie that sat for 3 and a half weeks (some of you may remember me telling you b4) she had no chicks, so I took her off and put her back with the others.

In the meantime I had been letting eggs gather in a nest to try to encourage another banty to go broody, anyway the following day, the hen who had already sat for over 3 weeks was sitting on the new batch of eggs.  After Alan said he regulary has brooders sit on 2-3 batches of eggs I let her sit...

The eggs were 4-5 days late but out popped the first one. The next day there was another. The following day I was going to get rid of the rest of the eggs when I noticed that 2 more had pipped and another could be heard cheeping away inside the egg. I left them for her to sit on them again. I had a feeling that she would get off, as her 1st chick was now 2-3 days old, and today when I got there the broody hen had chucked all the straw up at one end of the hutch along with 2 eggs,covering them up. I got the eggs out and they were freezing cold. So cold that one had dried up completley and was dead, half pecked its way through the egg. The other was alive but still in the egg with only a small hole to see it breathing and its mouth open. I quickly started helping it out of the egg, it wasnt cherping much as it was so cold, but I got it out and managed to get it warm. It is now fully dry and looks great, I'm so happy my partner and I could save the poor lil thing.

While all this was going on I noticed her standing on a chicks neck and she didnt even notice so I moved her. A few minutes later she was standing all over the chicks not bothering. (This same hen did this last year and killed 1 of its chicks, there were 3 alltogether. So I brought them home and kept them in a box with a light suspended above them). I have had to do the same this time with all the chicks(5), to make sure they survive.

I feel so bad for the hen though as she sat for so long. Did I make a hasty decision or was I right to presume she could kill them all this way? Sorry its like reading a story, but had to explain fully so you would understand... Many thanks   Mark

I've paragraphed this post for you Mark as I found one single huge para too hard to read -  Aunt Sally

[alan42]

a hard one to call as now you have removed her chicks we will never know and can only guess the outcome if you had left them, it was your call to make and i think you made the right choice. if i have show birds i somtimes take chicks away from the mother ( she will not be bothered after a few hours ) so that no harm can come to them.
alan

[Gardening Mark]

Thanks Alan, I think I done the right thing by the chicks but feel so sorry for the mother.  I tried putting her in a dark hutch last night with no food and water to make her uncomfortable enough to forget about her chicks as she was sitting on the empty nest for hours after they had gone...(she would probably sit again if I let her), but I dont want her to. She seems to be ok today but will have to lock her away again tonight if I think she is still missing them. She will get over it and hopefully in a month or so can look forward to eating some lovely bantie eggs again... Especially since I'm thinking of taking away the mother of 6 in a week or two, then more eggs for me. Unless she wants to clock for me again, and I will happily let her as she is such a good mother!!  Once again thanks Alan, have a nice day

[alan42]

you could rest your conciense and give her a few big juicy worms as a thank you lol.
alan