EMAIL YOUR GARDEN DADDY WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Get your garden questions answered and offer suggestions other than regular posting comments. If you want more personal contact or you have more in depth gardening questions and need answers, let Garden Daddy send you on your "Happy Garden Way" by offering you my comments.
Contact your Garden Daddy today:
gardendaddy@gmail.com



Friday, March 25, 2011

BROODY HEN GETS NEW CHICKS TODAY

HELLO & Welcome to Garden Daddy here at the urban farm! The day has arrived, today, when I got my 5-new little Wellsummer day old chicks. My broody Buff Orpington hen has been sitting on her nest of 6 plastic golf balls for almost a full month now. This morning I decided not to wait until tonight to slip her the little hatchlings. It has been dark, cold and cloudy here today and so at around 8:00 am this morning I slipped in a chick - took out a golf ball. She put her beak to it, turned around in the nest, started preening her back feathers and pulling downy feathers up to make her whole back fluffed up. Then out came another golf ball and in went another chick...this went on till all 6 golf balls where gone and 6 chicks where under her and she was clucking and mothering one and all!
DID I SAY 6 CHICKS? Oops...You know this Garden Daddy cannot resist little chicks. So I added an unplanned baby to the mix, a little yellow chick that will grow up into a standard white Chochin hen hopefully one day. I covered up mother and babies and left them alone only to find myself slipping out there again about an hour later to find one and all doing just fine. As I said, it is rather cool here today, about 30 degrees this morning, warming slowly to lower 50's I think is scheduled but now without having to artificially brood chicks, saving both room and electricity, I think I will take a break from what has been a busy week here, with working at the community garden and planting some snow peas here at the urban farm for my freezer later on as well as fresh stir fry...YUM!
I leave you today with our ongoing urban farming affirmation with a twist: "URBAN FARMING: FIVE CHICKS -PLUS ONE EXTRA - AT A TIME!".....OH MY!





Posted by at The Garden Home

4 comments:

  1. Practical ParsimonyFriday, March 25, 2011

    I have been offered fertile eggs for my broody hen. Another person offered chicks. If your project with chicks works, after a week or so, I may take chicks. My nest is up very high. Will that be a problem? Oh, I would have to check in often, too. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike MillsonFriday, March 25, 2011

    Hey there, PP,
    I would seclude the sitting hen by herself in a dark quiet place that is basically dry and not much wind. Then have the next box basically at ground level or just slightly elevated off ground but pretty close. I am just telling you what I see for myself in action that is working.
    Then if she is actually on some eggs move the eggs first to the nest box then move her. She will probably make a racket for a bit but if she is really serious will be back on the nest shortly. Then in a few days it will be ok to add her some chicks. Make sure it has been several weeks she has been setting as to make sure she will keep this broodiness up when the chicks arrive.

    As of 7pm tonight, all are well, getting in and out of the nest to eat and drink then right back under a very warm, protective and fluffy mother hen....all is well at the urban farm!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mike MillsonFriday, March 25, 2011

    I said NEXT box...meant NEST...mm

    ReplyDelete
  4. Practical ParsimonySaturday, March 26, 2011

    LOL...I reread that sentence and all before it to find out where the 'next' box was mentioned. Thanks for the clarification.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)