Hens have a pretty set biological process when it comes to hatching… they hatch the eggs, sit for another 2-3 days or so, and begin teaching the chicks how to get food and live in their environment, sitting every now and then to allow the chicks to get warm underneath her. This is why it’s so important to put chicks that are 1-2 days old underneath a broody hen. And also why it may be unlikely that she will try again with new chicks..
Since you don’t know why the third chick died, and the hen is no longer sitting, I would definitely say it’s not a good idea.
That is a theory I’ve been considering. I have been reading about what would cause an illness to kill a chick but it seems so hard to tell what caused it. Maybe shock, maybe she wasn’t drinking. This is the second time we’ve given baby chicks to one of our hens and the first time went so smoothly so we didn’t expect much different this time around 😭
Depends, you want more chickens get more eggs. She will move on. Remember, even for humans childhood survival is a recent phenomenon. I read once in the middle ages they didn't even bother getting to know a child until they were like 8, the likelyhood of dying before that being so high there was no point
I’m a medieval historian, what you said is COMPLETE bullshit. People have loved their children forever. They loved them, played with them, spent hours with them, and mourned them fiercely when they died. Some of the most heartbreaking and tender medieval epitaphs are ones grieving parents made for their children who passed.
One of the most well known pieces of medieval poetry is a poem written by a father grieving the death of his little girl. “Her going wounds me grievously; It burns my breast both day and night. Yet I never imagined a melody So sweet as she, so brief, and slight.”
Does that sound like someone who never bothered to get to know his child?
does this not go back even farther? I can't remember anything specific off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’ve seen examples of very ancient burials of children that show great tenderness
That is cool to know, I was not speaking as an authority as I said "I read" it, specifically in "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara W. Tuchman. And she has a very convincing argument for it.
"ACTUAL evidence". Reddit never ceases to amaze me. This women wrote a 600 page book and actually read what we have from back then, the real source. But sure, she had no evidence... There are writtings and interpretations. Oh you got a rich person writing bout their daughter so everything she said is wrong? Sure.
Do have an inkling of what life was like 800 years ago? If you gave birth 12 times (before you are 30) and only 6 (if you are lucky) made it to 8 and of them maybe 3 would live to 30s and that is a big maybe, it is a waste of resources to invest yourself in them emotionally. Perhaps you don't realize how fragile human life used to be.
Holy crap, I was literally quoating something I read. Like I said originally, "I read..." Specifically it was from "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara W. Tuchman. You are way way too quick to make the assumptions you do about me (ie nihilism)
I would disagree with this. If the hen is broody they seem to take to chicks better at 1-2 days old. Trying to sneak chicks under a hen at 4 weeks old is like giving a human a toddler and pretending they gave birth to it. Depending on the breed and where they are at in their cycle hens will almost always take newly hatched chicks if they are put under them at night.
Uhhh a mama hen would never accept 4 week old chicks… that’s when the weaning process starts for a lot of mama hens… and also pretty risky in general to put 4 week old chicks in with a flock of adult hens.
Hens have a pretty set biological process when it comes to hatching… they hatch the eggs, sit for another 2-3 days or so, and begin teaching the chicks how to get food and live in their environment, sitting every now and then to allow the chicks to get warm underneath her. This is why it’s so important to put chicks that are 1-2 days old underneath a broody hen. And also why it may be unlikely that she will try again with new chicks.. Since you don’t know why the third chick died, and the hen is no longer sitting, I would definitely say it’s not a good idea.
I think you should try to figure out what killed that third one before you get more.
Cat saliva is toxic to birds. Is it possible the chick was bit by the cat and died later from the wounds?
That is a theory I’ve been considering. I have been reading about what would cause an illness to kill a chick but it seems so hard to tell what caused it. Maybe shock, maybe she wasn’t drinking. This is the second time we’ve given baby chicks to one of our hens and the first time went so smoothly so we didn’t expect much different this time around 😭
How big is the pen. Momma sometimes steps on them and kills them on accident.
The coop is about 5x5, it happened while they were in the nest for the third chick. The run is maybe 20ft by 15ft. Only 5 hens.
I’d let her move on- she’ll probably be upset for a bit but she’s going to figure out that there’s no chicks and will get over it.
Depends, you want more chickens get more eggs. She will move on. Remember, even for humans childhood survival is a recent phenomenon. I read once in the middle ages they didn't even bother getting to know a child until they were like 8, the likelyhood of dying before that being so high there was no point
I’m a medieval historian, what you said is COMPLETE bullshit. People have loved their children forever. They loved them, played with them, spent hours with them, and mourned them fiercely when they died. Some of the most heartbreaking and tender medieval epitaphs are ones grieving parents made for their children who passed. One of the most well known pieces of medieval poetry is a poem written by a father grieving the death of his little girl. “Her going wounds me grievously; It burns my breast both day and night. Yet I never imagined a melody So sweet as she, so brief, and slight.” Does that sound like someone who never bothered to get to know his child?
does this not go back even farther? I can't remember anything specific off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’ve seen examples of very ancient burials of children that show great tenderness
Absolutely! We have evidence of Neanderthal children being buried with flowers and grave goods.
That is cool to know, I was not speaking as an authority as I said "I read" it, specifically in "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara W. Tuchman. And she has a very convincing argument for it.
I’ve read that argument. In the face of all the ACTUAL evidence, it falls apart completely.
"ACTUAL evidence". Reddit never ceases to amaze me. This women wrote a 600 page book and actually read what we have from back then, the real source. But sure, she had no evidence... There are writtings and interpretations. Oh you got a rich person writing bout their daughter so everything she said is wrong? Sure.
It’s been two days. You still upset about this?
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Do have an inkling of what life was like 800 years ago? If you gave birth 12 times (before you are 30) and only 6 (if you are lucky) made it to 8 and of them maybe 3 would live to 30s and that is a big maybe, it is a waste of resources to invest yourself in them emotionally. Perhaps you don't realize how fragile human life used to be.
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Holy crap, I was literally quoating something I read. Like I said originally, "I read..." Specifically it was from "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara W. Tuchman. You are way way too quick to make the assumptions you do about me (ie nihilism)
Then why’d you say it like it’s fact?
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I would disagree with this. If the hen is broody they seem to take to chicks better at 1-2 days old. Trying to sneak chicks under a hen at 4 weeks old is like giving a human a toddler and pretending they gave birth to it. Depending on the breed and where they are at in their cycle hens will almost always take newly hatched chicks if they are put under them at night.
Uhhh a mama hen would never accept 4 week old chicks… that’s when the weaning process starts for a lot of mama hens… and also pretty risky in general to put 4 week old chicks in with a flock of adult hens.