# Stubborn chicken



## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

I only let my silkies set on eggs, i want the rest to focus on laying. Plus the breeds i've had in the past are not generally broody. The main pen is on the second floor which is not conducive to baby chicks wandering out onto the ramp either. The silkies are in a protected pen in one corner of the coop.

The silkies were determined to hatch eggs and i didn't want more silkies so i let them set on Arucauna eggs. The hatch rate is terrible - low fertility, and a lethal gene, so i didn't expect to get many chicks. I had one clump of 3 silkies setting on about 14 eggs and another pair setting on 10 eggs. (they like to brood in groups) First batch of chicks hatch - 4 of them, a few days later 3 more hatch from the other group. So 7 chicks, 5 moms, and everyone wanders away, leaving the rest of the eggs. Stupidly i never put dates on them so i didn't know if they were infertile or just not ready. I was pissed b/c the eggs were cold and in the second batch i suspected there were some that had only a few days left. I scooped up the 9 eggs that hadn't hatched and stuck them under an Arucauna that was acting broody, figuring if they hatched, i'd let the silkies care for them. They never seem to reject any chicks. After a week though, i decided they weren't going to hatch, and i should take the eggs, before i had rotten eggs breaking. I lifted the hen up and found a chick. Gave the chick to one of the silkies, all seemed well, the Arucauna hen didn't seem to care, everything was fine.

Was busy, plus didn't want to stress the silkie hen (who was brooding some other eggs) so i didn't lift her up to check on the new chick for a couple days. When i did.....no chick. Darn, figured it had died b/c sometimes they survive to hatching and don't make it after that. Couldn't find it in the pen though. Was collecting eggs, and wandered by one of the nest boxes and heard peeping. The Arucauna hen was sitting there with HER chick, proud as could be. I have NO idea how that baby got out of the silkie pen and all the way across the coop (without another chicken hurting it) but decided if they were going to be that stubborn, i'd let the hen keep the baby.


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## 3stooges (Jun 20, 2011)

Funny. You have a determined chick. Maybe mom went looking for it. Glad you are going to let them stay together.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

LOL That little chick sounds adorable! And so determined. lol :wink:


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Awww cute! Love that story!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Wow...what a story and an amazing little chick... :thumb:


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

They are now the terror of the barn. I had them in a wire pen within the silkie pen for a couple weeks. Since i had another mom with new chicks I let these two out with the silkies and their chicks. A couple hours later went to check on everyone and the Arucauna had all the silkies cowering in a corner while she and her chick had the rest of the pen. Any time one of the silkies made a move out of the corner she rushed them and they scooted back in. I figured they might work it out in a couple days except that she drove two silkie moms off their own nests. So I put her back in the small pen and let the other new mom and her 3 chicks out instead. Yesterday had another mom with 4 chicks so i put the original mom with the 3-chick mom, put the 4-chick mom in the small pen and moved the silkies into another section. Today 1-chick mom was again terrorizing the other mom in 'her' pen, so she went into isolation yet again and the two newer moms are with each other and their chicks. I just don't get it, the pen is plenty big enough, she acts like she wants the whole thing to herself. Even in her own wire pen she is trying to attack the others whenever they get near the bars. She was never like this before she had a chick. 

It will be worse tomorrow/Saturday b/c i heard another mom in the main pen with peeping underneath her so yet another one will be crowding the crazy hen. (with 2-3 more hens due soon) I don't know what i was thinking letting them all hatch chicks, i think i have baby fever. :laugh:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:laugh:


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

:ROFL: Silly chickens! My friend told me the other day about a horribly ferocious hen they used to have, so ferocious they wouldn't go outside if she was even across the yard. She would attack everyone. But she was the very best mother hen they had! :laugh:


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