Isobel Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Hi thanks to those who responded last week when I was asking if it was likely to be ok to leave my broody on her eggs in an Eglu or whether to try and move her into something more suitable for the chicks...I decided to leave well alone on the basis that she knows best, but now we have suddenly gone back to really freezing weather. The Eglu door was frozen shut this morning! The water in her drinker inside was frozen. I am not likely to be around when they hatch as I work all day and I am worried that if it is very cold they will not survive! Am I being over anxious? Every time I try and "help" it seems to phase her and she gets off the eggs and runs around - I am really concerned that if I move her lock stock and eggs she will throw her toys out of the pram and give up (she did that once before when she went broody the first time a couple of months back and explained to me that No Way was she going to hatch her offspring in a rabbit hutch thanks). I placed a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket in there this morning to thaw her out but she slung her hook immediately! Any experienced chicken grannies out there know got any idea what I should do? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I had a brood hatch on the 14/2 this year just as we had a really cold snap I lost one the morning it hatched but it was a good 24hrs after the last one hatched by then the broody had gone from 'incubator' mode to 'mothering' mode so abandond the nest but other than that there were no problems the youngsters are now 9 weeks old mom's been back with her flock and the kids are haveing a ball you'd be surprised at how little hear a broody gives off there was frost in the broody coop nearly every day on the colder days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I'd leave her be as any interference can put them off I ahve a broody and chicks in a rabbit hutch and the broody has taken to sleeping in the 'open' bit - the chicks seem just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isobel Posted April 25, 2012 Author Share Posted April 25, 2012 ...and all seven hatched on Sunday and we have all been transfixed ever since! What a wonderful thing to watch! I did the naughty thing of peeling one out of its shell when it had got stuck and given up - I know you are not supposed to interfere but it had really given up the ghost after a few hours and was hardly breathing. It was very floppy at first but after 24 hours you couldn't tell which one it was! I would thoroughly recommend this experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 How lovely. chicks are so sweet although ours are growing rapidly two and a half weeks old now. We too helped one, knew we shouldn't but couldn't leave it, it seemed poorly to start with, we left it for a few days in the incubtor to give it a chance, it was one of the last to hatch and now it is fine, DS who saw it on the first day came a few days later to see the empty incy and said Oh its died and could not believe it was running around with the others Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
