# New Broody



## Jeremysbrinkman

Yesterday my one little bantam hen went broody. She is sitting on 3 of her eggs. Since she just started yesterday could I add one from one of my other hens? 


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## robin416

Yep, mark it, if it looks the same as the others just in case she rejects it.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

Awesome! I am going to take the chance. All of her eggs are white and this one is brown.


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## robin416

Some will reject all but their own. Others steal every one they can lay their beaks on.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She raised chicks for me in 2011and none of them were hers. Here is a pic of her and her husband.














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## andyisca

I've had a chicken hatch duck eggs. She really got upset when they kept getting in their water. 


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## robin416

andyisca said:


> I've had a chicken hatch duck eggs. She really got upset when they kept getting in their water.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


LOL I would given anything to have seen that.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She is due to hatch them on April 5th. She has 3 of her own eggs and 2 from my big girls pen with an EE rooster and BCM hens (one egg) and I think the other is barred rock.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

3 days in and 18 to go....


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## Jeremysbrinkman

4 days in 17 to go....


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## TheChickenGuy

You're lucky she accepted the eggs. Some hens can be funny. Keep this thread updated.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She is kinda old she was given to me in 2010 and has went broody every year except last year. She rarely lays anymore maybe 2-3 eggs per week. I really only keep her for that reason. So I hope to get a little hen or two from her so that I can carry on her broodiness. I worry that this is the last time she will go broody for me. I think I am only going to let her keep her chicks for about 4 weeks this time instead if the 3 months I let her keep them the last time! Neither of those two were her chicks and they were bigger than she was by the time she let them go. 
Maybe she will have a good broody year. Her first year with me she hatched 9 sets of eggs! unfortunately I free ranged all the time and feral cats, *****, or possums got all of those. I finally built a brooder coop for little Moma and the babies.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

5 days in 16 to go.....


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## Jeremysbrinkman

6 days in 15 to go.....


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## cgmccary

Funny you all have had hens reject eggs not their own. I have never seen or heard of this happening. There are both excellent and poor broodies for different reasons.

I have hatched a lot of chicks under broody hens, and still do. It is my preferred way of hatching and raising chicks. I do it in brood pens and also on free range.

I have never had a broody hen reject an egg not being theirs & the eggs are very rarely or mostly NEVER theirs. In fact, I go so far as to hatch chicks in the incubator and time them to hatch simultaneously with a broody hen's eggs. I then put the incubator chicks under the hen at night with her own chicks upon hatching. {I do it at night so the chicks better accept mama, not the other way around). I have never had a hen reject those additional chicks. The chicks need to go under the broody from the incubator asap because they may reject her (or not understand) that she is mother (though I have done it several days later & had no problem). I have done this with cochins, my Buckeyes, Bantam games and OEGs. I have also used chicken hens to hatch and raise Guineas and turkeys. My first experience with hatching eggs was when I was a 7 year old (I am now 53 y.o.). I obtained leghorn hatching eggs from a neighbor and hatched them under my Cochin hen. I did not even own an incubator in 1968.

In fact, I have had dominant broody hens steal another hen's chicks (or because they did not get to hatch, they swipe a few from a mother hen).

Some individuals of certain breeds of chickens, the hens are not as easily moved to a new location for their nest when they go broody to sit on the eggs (they want to go back to their old (original) laying location). These breeds (or particular hens) are simply stuck to a location- they'd sit on any eggs but are peculiar about "where." Other breeds will glue to eggs anywhere you move them & can easily be moved around as needed. Is this what you all are talking about?

Hens do not know their eggs from another hen's eggs. Heck, a lot of wild-bird species cannot even discern their own eggs from a larger cowbird (or cuckoo bird) egg. A very few wild-bird species have evolved the ability to discriminate the parasitic bird egg in their nest over many thousands of years - - - (also the reason we still have plenty of cowbirds).

Broody hens will sit on air -- no eggs -- one that is truly broody and committed does even need eggs to sit. I have a few of those right now. It can take a week to break them from sitting on nothing.

If other hens have access to a broody hen, they will keep laying eggs under her. If it is a possibility (and sometimes it is when I have chosen to leave a hen in a peculiar outdoor location), then I mark the eggs I set so I can remove newly laid eggs by other hens. Right now, I am getting ready to put La Fleche eggs under a Buckeye hen, another clutch under a game hen and another under a Game X Buckeye hen. I just have to decide how many eggs they can cover. I had a Bantam OEG who lived to be almost ten years old. She successfully hatched & raised many Buckeyes for me but could only sit on about 4 of the large fowl eggs. Here she was years back with her LF Buckeye chicks:



Not being cantankerous, but they don't know their eggs or not their eggs.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

I have never had any trouble getting her to sit on eggs or reject them. I just was sure if it was too late to slip a couple of extras under her.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

One week done 2 to go....


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## robin416

Jeremysbrinkman said:


> One week done 2 to go....
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


Have you risked candling to see how the eggs are doing?


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## Jeremysbrinkman

No I haven't 
1st reason- she is such a good mom
2nd reason- I have only caught her off the nest twice in a week
3rd reason and most important- she is a mean little bugger when you get close to her nest. LOL


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## robin416

I figured, that's why I used the word "risked." I put my leather gloves on when I decide its time to check.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

I am just going to let nature take it's course. Her first hatching I didn't even know she had started laying eggs and she hatched 10 chicks of course I lost them all because she free ranged. 


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## Jeremysbrinkman

8 days gone and 13 days to go....


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## Jeremysbrinkman

9 days finished and 12 to go...


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## Jeremysbrinkman

We'll I checked on little mom and her eggs today and she had tossed out 4 of the 5 eggs. I hope it hatches. It's also not one of her own eggs!


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## Jeremysbrinkman

10 days in and 11 to go with just one egg


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## Jeremysbrinkman

9 days left to go


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## Jeremysbrinkman

8 days left to go....


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## Jeremysbrinkman

14 days in and 7 to go


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She has tossed all but 1 egg I guess I can't complain 


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## Jeremysbrinkman

15 days in 6 to go


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She tossed the last egg


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## robin416

You need to check to see if the egg was even fertile. She might have figured out they weren't and shoved them out.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

It was. The nestbox she chose shifted and tilted forward I think they all just fell out. I hope she goes broody again soon.


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## TheChickenGuy

cgmccary said:


> Funny you all have had hens reject eggs not their own. I have never seen or heard of this happening. There are both excellent and poor broodies for different reasons.
> 
> I have hatched a lot of chicks under broody hens, and still do. It is my preferred way of hatching and raising chicks. I do it in brood pens and also on free range.
> 
> I have never had a broody hen reject an egg not being theirs & the eggs are very rarely or mostly NEVER theirs. In fact, I go so far as to hatch chicks in the incubator and time them to hatch simultaneously with a broody hen's eggs. I then put the incubator chicks under the hen at night with her own chicks upon hatching. {I do it at night so the chicks better accept mama, not the other way around). I have never had a hen reject those additional chicks. The chicks need to go under the broody from the incubator asap because they may reject her (or not understand) that she is mother (though I have done it several days later & had no problem). I have done this with cochins, my Buckeyes, Bantam games and OEGs. I have also used chicken hens to hatch and raise Guineas and turkeys. My first experience with hatching eggs was when I was a 7 year old (I am now 53 y.o.). I obtained leghorn hatching eggs from a neighbor and hatched them under my Cochin hen. I did not even own an incubator in 1968.
> 
> In fact, I have had dominant broody hens steal another hen's chicks (or because they did not get to hatch, they swipe a few from a mother hen).
> 
> Some individuals of certain breeds of chickens, the hens are not as easily moved to a new location for their nest when they go broody to sit on the eggs (they want to go back to their old (original) laying location). These breeds (or particular hens) are simply stuck to a location- they'd sit on any eggs but are peculiar about "where." Other breeds will glue to eggs anywhere you move them & can easily be moved around as needed. Is this what you all are talking about?
> 
> Hens do not know their eggs from another hen's eggs. Heck, a lot of wild-bird species cannot even discern their own eggs from a larger cowbird (or cuckoo bird) egg. A very few wild-bird species have evolved the ability to discriminate the parasitic bird egg in their nest over many thousands of years - - - (also the reason we still have plenty of cowbirds).
> 
> Broody hens will sit on air -- no eggs -- one that is truly broody and committed does even need eggs to sit. I have a few of those right now. It can take a week to break them from sitting on nothing.
> 
> If other hens have access to a broody hen, they will keep laying eggs under her. If it is a possibility (and sometimes it is when I have chosen to leave a hen in a peculiar outdoor location), then I mark the eggs I set so I can remove newly laid eggs by other hens. Right now, I am getting ready to put La Fleche eggs under a Buckeye hen, another clutch under a game hen and another under a Game X Buckeye hen. I just have to decide how many eggs they can cover. I had a Bantam OEG who lived to be almost ten years old. She successfully hatched & raised many Buckeyes for me but could only sit on about 4 of the large fowl eggs. Here she was years back with her LF Buckeye chicks:
> 
> 
> 
> Not being cantankerous, but they don't know their eggs or not their eggs.


The lecture was awesome. My believe that hen do reject eggs stems from my childhood, when my mom normally complain that a hen refuse to hatch some eggs. Now I know better. Thanks!


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## TheChickenGuy

Jeremysbrinkman said:


> We'll I checked on little mom and her eggs today and she had tossed out 4 of the 5 eggs. I hope it hatches. It's also not one of her own eggs!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


What? She tossed it out herself? Does hen really know there own eggs? I'm confuse.


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## Jeremysbrinkman

Ok I need to clarify. She chose a nesting box that was not tightly secured. Every time she would he in and out it would tilt forward until it was low enough to allow the eggs to come out, either bounce out or roll out. She had sat on 5 eggs and because I was stubborn and didn't want to disturb her 4 had fallen out. I have her isolated except for a little bantam rooster in the coop with her. So I know there have been no other hens in her nest. They should have hatched today 4-6-14.
She had sat on those dwindling eggs for 2 weeks. When all of the eggs were gone I took and reattached the nest box to the wall. She has continued to be broody. I know I may be wrong for it but I put 4 new eggs under her. None of her own. She has sat on them now for a week and all are still there. My biggest disappointment is from the fact that none of them are her own babies. She now has 2 more weeks to go before they hatch. Just in time for Easter. 


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## tammy

My girls nest is up a little ramp. Will the peeps fall out? Will the rooster & other hens hurt them?


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## tammy

I LUV THIS FORUM & all the info!! Thank you all!!!


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## robin416

Yes, they can. That's why mine were always moved and had a light set up for warmth just in case Mom moved to far or was up doing stuff.

Depends on your flock. I could raise chicks with my flock for the most part trouble free. Some hens can be over aggressive and protecting their peeps but with Silkies its pretty easy to raise them together. I even have an old roo that helped raise peeps that needed an adult.


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## tammy

What did he do to help?


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## robin416

He would show them treats and food. At night he let them gather up underneath him. He allowed them to explore his face with such patience while those tiny beaks pecked at it.


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## tammy

That is the sweetest thing I've heard in a long time!!


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## robin416

That boy is going to be nine in August if he makes it. He's looking rough around the edges. He still eats and drinks, I even heard him crowing this morning. I'm hoping he just goes to sleep one night and doesn't wake up.


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## tammy

That is amazing! What a blessing he's been to you. I hope he just goes to sleep peacefully too. Thank you for sharing!


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## hildar

My mom had an older rooster that made it to the ripe old age of 17. He could barely walk around the yard, but he died in her arms one day. He came up to her and she picked him up. He laid his head on her and went to sleep never did wake up again. She even had a small head stone made for him. He was just the best rooster we ever had way back then, and she wanted to hang onto him, and he lived and lived.


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## tammy

I had No clue any chicken could live that long. Amazing!!


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## piglett

my aunt had "retired" hens

some made it to 10 years old 

silly things hadn't layied in years


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## tammy

I had no idea they could live so long


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## tammy

That was such a sweet story about your moms rooster! Thank u for sharing it with me


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## hildar

tammy said:


> That was such a sweet story about your moms rooster! Thank u for sharing it with me
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


You are so welcome.

My oldest one here is 8 and he is going strong. I will update everyone when he is 9, 10 and so on lol.


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## piglett

hildar said:


> You are so welcome.
> 
> My oldest one here is 8 and he is going strong. I will update everyone when he is 9, 10 and so on lol.


will the old boy still jump a hen from time to time?


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## tammy

When I went out to close the coop last night, my oldest hen had a couple eggs under her and was very protective of them. Not really "broody" protective, but enough that I hope she'll be helpful to the new mommy to be


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## piglett

tammy said:


> When I went out to close the coop last night, my oldest hen had a couple eggs under her and was very protective of them. Not really "broody" protective, but enough that I hope she'll be helpful to the new mommy to be
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


it is egg hatching season for hens


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## tammy

She hasn't laid eggs for a while, so I'm not sure what's going in with her. We will... find out I guess


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## piglett

tammy said:


> She hasn't laid eggs for a while, so I'm not sure what's going in with her. We will... find out I guess
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


i have a silkie who thinks she wants to hatch out a pile of wood shaving

i moved her to another coop

nope she is still brooding the floor


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## tammy

Put some eggs under that girl


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## piglett

tammy said:


> Put some eggs under that girl
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


she already hatched out 1 chick

but my wife for whatever reason put it in the brooder with the others the same age.

now i can't tell which one it was.

so she is chick-less

i hope she comes out of it after a while

once she builds herself back up she can brood all the eggs she can cover.

she used to have a sister but she took to attacking chicks

(i'm talking drawing blood)

i fixed her up rite quick

lets just say so no longer does any of that


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## tammy

I wonder if she'd take care of any peep u gave her? If not, I'm sure she will begin to come around. 


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## tammy

Maybe she'd take care of 2 or 3? As for the hen's mean sister... Did you make some "mean" Chichen & dumplings?


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## piglett

tammy said:


> Maybe she'd take care of 2 or 3? As for the hen's mean sister... Did you make some "mean" Chichen & dumplings?��
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


 i snatched up that mean little silkie hen mix

& processed her on the spot!

i don't like silkie meat so i put her in a pot of water on the grill & boiled her on up

the next day the rest of the flock had for her for breakfast (it turns out she WAS good for something)

_*nothing messes with my peeps!!!*_


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## tammy

I had 3 hens peek bloody sores on my 3 week old chicks as the poor babies tried to hide. Those mean hens also became part of the circle of life. I Cannot abide mean animals...or people for that matter. I have a 200 lb Newfy. (Dog) that loves & protects of home from the grand baby, kitties and the chickens. We don't tolerate mean in this family. 


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## tammy

I meant that to say that our dog protects the grand baby, cats and Chichens 


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## robin416

Thing is Tammy, its part of the chicken hierarchy. Its up to us to make the decisions that will keep the youngest and weakest safe. All part of the learning in keeping these guys.


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## tammy

Very true! It's fun but also a responsibility to take proper care of them


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## Fiere

There's "mean" and then there's life. Birds have a hierarchy and will defend it, some take it farther than others. My old crone hen would kill a chick to defend her territory just as well as she'd show the whole flock the best places to forage. It wasn't mean, by her standards. She was also the same animal my daughter would strap into a baby doll carriage and take for walks. It was just life.


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## robin416

Fiere, your story reminds me of my Allie. She's going to be 7 or is 7, I've lost track now. Absolutely stunning show bird. But heaven help any wandering chick that got near her when she had chicks with her. Vicious doesn't cover it. She would grab another hen's chick if it got too close and shake it like a dog would a toy.

My fix? To keep her in a pen where it was no longer a problem. 

Now I have a paint that is absolutely over the top protecting her chicks. Same goes for her, an isolation pen until she'd done raising her chicks. 

We either make the moves to protect others or we sacrifice our hens for doing what comes naturally.


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## tammy

she has 12 eggs under her

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## Fiere

This one was just an old hag, never had any chicks of her own, but she ruled her flock with an iron fist. The flock was better for it. She trained all my cockerels to be gentlemanly and was very rooster-like herself in how she managed her underlings. But if you introduced a bird to quickly, she'd kill it or at least try very hard to. It was an outsider and therefore a threat. Sure, I was livid about it, but Red was not to blame. I just made damn sure the birds were introduced properly and never had another problem with her, if she started to get rough enough to warrant intervention, I'd separate the newbie again. I wouldn't dare separate Red, she'd tear the flock apart to remind them of her status. I called her "the Battle-axe", not mean, but she didn't take nothing off nobody lol.


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## tammy

I just counted 12 eggs under her

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## Fiere

Hopefully they all hatch out for you! Happy looking mother, indeed.


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## piglett

robin416 said:


> Fiere, your story reminds me of my Allie. She's going to be 7 or is 7, I've lost track now. Absolutely stunning show bird. But heaven help any wandering chick that got near her when she had chicks with her. Vicious doesn't cover it. She would grab another hen's chick if it got too close and shake it like a dog would a toy.
> 
> My fix? To keep her in a pen where it was no longer a problem.
> 
> Now I have a paint that is absolutely over the top protecting her chicks. Same goes for her, an isolation pen until she'd done raising her chicks.
> 
> We either make the moves to protect others or we sacrifice our hens for doing what comes naturally.


the hen in question at my place had a habit of giving up after a cluch

of eggs was 1/2 way through being incubated

i would collect them & go fire up the bator

her sister on the other hand will take any chick i give her

even when she isn't broody.

best hen i have even though she is a mixed breed


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## tammy

My girl has not been off her nest for any reason but I got her to eat & drink yesterday. 


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## Jeremysbrinkman

She is getting down you just don't see it


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## tammy

I have food & water in the house with her just to make sure. Her sister is brooding with her now


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## tammy

We have 2 baby chicks so far. The momma and her sister are sitting on them together. 6 more eggs left to hatch








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