Mason Farm and Ranch
Songster
A few weeks ago one of my Millie Fleur hens was showing signs she was going broody. I first noticed when she was wrecking my laundry room looking for a place to nest. She had come through the cat door and was being unexpectedly adamant about nesting inside. I already had a broody hen in lock up, so I made a mental note to put her in next. It took several days to break the girl already in lock up, but before she broke, Sarah went missing.
I worried for her, searching little nooks and crannies hoping to find her. I got up early and watched for her to come out to eat in the hopes that I could follow her to her nest. It had been in the triple digits for weeks and knowing broody hens don't hydrate regularly, I was very concerned for her. She never came out.
I convinced myself she hadn't been predated and like her sister likely slipped off to the cool lush foliage of my neighbors gardens to nest there. I still worried. It had only gotten hotter.
This week I hired help to clean up areas of my property as it was beginning to look like a hoarders abode and with the chickens I had begun to just put things out of my way instead of putting things away, starting during the COVID lock down.
On the next to last day, we found Sarah. My worst fear was that she had been predated. Her death was my second worst. She nested inside of a plastic 3 gallon decorative beverage dispenser I had stored under a covered table on my back porch. It had fallen over, the lid had come open partially and she had drug some hay into it to make a nest. An enclosed small plastic space that had zero air circulation under a table covered with a heavy cloth that more than reached the floor made for even less circulation. The 110° temperatures the 3 days after she went missing were lethal. She died sitting on her eggs. She must have died shortly after she went missing. She was completely dehydrated. Even the maggots that feasted on her died.
I am absolutely to blame here. Not because of the poorly stored drink dispenser, not because of the table covered in junk under which she found said nesting spot, but because I didn't quarantine her the minute I noticed she was going broody.
Broody hens don't eat and drink properly and triple digit temperatures can kill chickens. Combined the two are a death sentence unless you intervene and either break them or move their nest to a cool place with food and water easily accessible. And do it immediately to prevent them from finding the worst possible location to nest.
I worried for her, searching little nooks and crannies hoping to find her. I got up early and watched for her to come out to eat in the hopes that I could follow her to her nest. It had been in the triple digits for weeks and knowing broody hens don't hydrate regularly, I was very concerned for her. She never came out.
I convinced myself she hadn't been predated and like her sister likely slipped off to the cool lush foliage of my neighbors gardens to nest there. I still worried. It had only gotten hotter.
This week I hired help to clean up areas of my property as it was beginning to look like a hoarders abode and with the chickens I had begun to just put things out of my way instead of putting things away, starting during the COVID lock down.
On the next to last day, we found Sarah. My worst fear was that she had been predated. Her death was my second worst. She nested inside of a plastic 3 gallon decorative beverage dispenser I had stored under a covered table on my back porch. It had fallen over, the lid had come open partially and she had drug some hay into it to make a nest. An enclosed small plastic space that had zero air circulation under a table covered with a heavy cloth that more than reached the floor made for even less circulation. The 110° temperatures the 3 days after she went missing were lethal. She died sitting on her eggs. She must have died shortly after she went missing. She was completely dehydrated. Even the maggots that feasted on her died.
I am absolutely to blame here. Not because of the poorly stored drink dispenser, not because of the table covered in junk under which she found said nesting spot, but because I didn't quarantine her the minute I noticed she was going broody.
Broody hens don't eat and drink properly and triple digit temperatures can kill chickens. Combined the two are a death sentence unless you intervene and either break them or move their nest to a cool place with food and water easily accessible. And do it immediately to prevent them from finding the worst possible location to nest.
