A
Anonymous
Guest
One of my broodies did a wonderful job and hatched a couple of chicks. She's been a great mum. All the birds free-range here and I have pretty much left them to it. The chicks were a couple weeks old but sadly the wee black one managed to get itself in a water tub (heaven only knows how) and must have died of cold. Am so cross with myself - if only I had hung out the washing earlier - I might have noticed and been able to save it. Hey-ho. Anyway mum and other chick have been out around the garden pecking away all fine and dandy - now this evening I find her back in the coop sitting in the laying corner on a pile of eggs along with her surviving chick. Whilst I am perfectly happy for her to sit for another batch (I have other broodies on hatching eggs and I could reduce their numbers and give her 7 or 8) - would this be ok. Will the wee chick be ok or will I have to take it away. If I move mum from the coop back into the dog crate where she incubated the others - so chick could come and go? What do we think? Tonight I have replaced the freshly laid eggs under her with golf balls and will see how she behaves tomorrow. Is that normal for a broody to go back to it so quickly? Cant wait til I have more confidence and know some more of the answers. You really are wonderfully supportive and knowledgeable. Thank you. N