Colorful metaphors. Best intentions.
However you want to describe it… I had a horrible failure.
I mentioned with my video of the chicken laying her egg, that I thought it was my broody hen. Well, it wasn’t, of course, just an interloper adding to the nest. But I had been watching my broody girl… and the 21 days was coming soon. Now, last year when she hatched two chicks, they had fallen out of the nest box, and she abandoned the remaining eggs to protect her two chicks. I didn’t want that to happen again.
Yesterday, I set up a dog crate in the coop, adding extra layers of straw so the eggs would be well cushioned. Last night, I moved the eggs and drowsy hen to their new location… on the floor… safe… and I planned to let her out on occasion to eat and drink. Broody hens don’t do much of either anyway… I thought this would work.
Insert very loud expletives here this morning, I’m pretty sure they echoed off the rimrocks!
The crate door was open, cold eggs scattered across the coop floor. I know the top crate door latch was fastened, but the bottom must not have been. She had escaped, and I imagine the other hens rolled the eggs out, curious. Broody was back in her bucket setting on nothing, but fluffed up protecting empty space.
Goodness, how I’ve bawled this morning over eight cold eggs.
One was cracked from a chicken’s curious beak, and my fingernail flipped back the shell, exposing the sac and through it I could see little feathers formed, and a wing. Poor, poor little thing.
I’m so sorry.
Broody is still in her bucket… and I slipped two warm eggs under her as I left. What will I do in 19 days? Leave them alone to take their chances? Or try to help once again?
Find me here!
Better luck and some wisdom for actions in 19 days time. Newly married – ages ago – I hard boiled and egg. Then, as you do, cut it in half length ways. There was the baby chick in text book form in its sac. Could not eat it. Maybe I should have taken it to the science class of the local school, but I didn’t.
Aww ouch! I know the feeling. Is there any way you can make her bucket more secure for chicks after they hatch, so they don’t fall out like last time? Then she could just stay put with less worry.
as a former farm boy that use to hatch out ducks every spring I know how you feel- mother nature usually knows best, but we have to try & help!
Oh, Carol. I’m so sorry! I had layer hens for years, and the losses never did get easier.
You did a good and compassionate deed, trying to help the broody hen hatch her babies.