Written by Heather Zubiate
Aw... aren't these chicks the cutest little balls of fluff --ever?!
Here is some chicken math for you, dear reader, are you ready? Here we go!
broody hen + no rooster =?
Let's see.... the answer would be -- NO EGGS to the second power!!! Meaning no eggs for eating and no chicks to hatch. This is B - A - D - bad!
Olive the green-egger has been broody for a very long time, and she will NOT snap out of it, no matter what I've tried. And so I thought I'd try to put together eh... an adoption of sorts. I purchased 4 chicks (2 Rhode Island Reds [i.e. RIR] and 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks [i.e. Barred Rocks] ) from my local feed store, but they weren't what I would have chosen given a choice, and nor were they as young as I had hoped, they're maybe 2 weeks old? But they still have enough fluff on them to still be cute as a button! And they still peep too...adorable, right? And I've heard that beggars can't be choosers.
My plan was to let Olive sit on some eggs for the day, instead of sitting on an empty nest (which she was more than happy to do -the dumb cluck!) and then in the dark of night, I was going to pull a switch-a-roo, her dud eggs for live chicks! Did it work? Did Olive buy it?? NO! She was still puffy, still clucking that incessant broody cluck, and she was still mean, mean enough to actually pecked at the lil chicks when she could see them! AHHH!!!!
broody hen + no rooster =?
Let's see.... the answer would be -- NO EGGS to the second power!!! Meaning no eggs for eating and no chicks to hatch. This is B - A - D - bad!
Olive the green-egger has been broody for a very long time, and she will NOT snap out of it, no matter what I've tried. And so I thought I'd try to put together eh... an adoption of sorts. I purchased 4 chicks (2 Rhode Island Reds [i.e. RIR] and 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks [i.e. Barred Rocks] ) from my local feed store, but they weren't what I would have chosen given a choice, and nor were they as young as I had hoped, they're maybe 2 weeks old? But they still have enough fluff on them to still be cute as a button! And they still peep too...adorable, right? And I've heard that beggars can't be choosers.
My plan was to let Olive sit on some eggs for the day, instead of sitting on an empty nest (which she was more than happy to do -the dumb cluck!) and then in the dark of night, I was going to pull a switch-a-roo, her dud eggs for live chicks! Did it work? Did Olive buy it?? NO! She was still puffy, still clucking that incessant broody cluck, and she was still mean, mean enough to actually pecked at the lil chicks when she could see them! AHHH!!!!
So I whisked them away from her, as she didn't deserve them, and brought them back into my nice warm kitchen. And I banished Olive to roam the badlands behind the garage! As of now, I don't care if she gets soaked in the light misty rain (it might cool her jets), and I don't care if she meets her end with Wile E. Coyote either! Turning my attention to the lil orphans, I set them up in a straw lined cage instead of the cardboard box and gave them their food and water with the heat lamp. And there they will stay until they have enough feathers for them to survive out in the small coop, in about a month. I'm so disappointed in Olive, and really, myself. I guess I should have let Olive sit on the eggs longer than a day, but I was running out of time as far as finding chicks that were young enough. Now I have to do something I'm scared of doing...raising baby chickens! If you care to recall, I lost 3 four week old chicks, to Lord only knows what -- it was terrible!
I know, it sounds so ludicrous to you, but not to me. Once burned twise shy, and besides, there are people who don't like human babies, they prefer older children. Well, I prefer older chickens, they are easier in my opinion and I don't have to wait as long for them to start laying. But, the Lord has a way of making us do things we are scared to do. To torture us? No. I need to grow as a chicken keeper, I can't rely on someone to raise chicks into being pullets for me forever.
Well, maybe I can, but if I want a larger farm, then I need to stretch my wings and learn how to raise chicks, its just more economical, and I've heard -- fun? So far so good, but it's only day two. However, I have decided to hold off on naming them until they start laying. Why get sentimentally attached until they start to lay eggs? I have 6 long months to go. There is plenty that can go wrong before then. My optimism is being clouded by inexperience and fright... I hope this works and that I will get to name all four! Someday I hope to look back on this moment and laugh at myself and my silly fears. Someday soon, say -- 6 LONG months from now!
I know, it sounds so ludicrous to you, but not to me. Once burned twise shy, and besides, there are people who don't like human babies, they prefer older children. Well, I prefer older chickens, they are easier in my opinion and I don't have to wait as long for them to start laying. But, the Lord has a way of making us do things we are scared to do. To torture us? No. I need to grow as a chicken keeper, I can't rely on someone to raise chicks into being pullets for me forever.
Well, maybe I can, but if I want a larger farm, then I need to stretch my wings and learn how to raise chicks, its just more economical, and I've heard -- fun? So far so good, but it's only day two. However, I have decided to hold off on naming them until they start laying. Why get sentimentally attached until they start to lay eggs? I have 6 long months to go. There is plenty that can go wrong before then. My optimism is being clouded by inexperience and fright... I hope this works and that I will get to name all four! Someday I hope to look back on this moment and laugh at myself and my silly fears. Someday soon, say -- 6 LONG months from now!