Just as this album states this is our one and only broody hatch watch 2015. We gave one of our Dark Cornish, lovingly named Mamacita, 7 eggs to set. She had been broody for about a week before giving her eggs. Once we determined she was serious, i.e., sleeping in nest box, no feathers on chest and belly, the hissing and squawking not just at you when you lift the nest box but at everyone else and for everything else. She was broody three times over the winter and we were hoping when we were hatching from the incubator she would be broody to raise them, of course she was not at that time, but she is now. Currently she is setting in the main coop in one of the smaller nest boxes, I have not candled the eggs yet, not sure I will. Eggs were given to her on 05/12/15. This week all week she didn't get off the nest exempt for eating and some dirt bathing. She battled with numerous flock mates each time she was out getting food.
Update - about 4 days into setting we had 10 eggs on nest. This week Mamacita either broke on accident or on purpose this week two eggs we are down to 8 eggs now.
05/28/15 - Day 17 - Mamacita is still sitting on 8 eggs, hopefully babies within the week.
05/31/15 - discovered two pips today around 6pm and moved mama into a dog kennel.
06/01/15 - we have two chicks that have hatched
06/02/15 - did not see anymore babies this am and not see anymore zips. (Edited later - when I looked at her eggs this am, I did discover half of a brown egg shell had gotten stuck onto a blue egg. It made the egg look two toned. Anyway, yesterday, I thought I had heard a pip, but didn't see it this am. I pulled the shell off the other egg and put the blue egg back on the nest. I left to run some errands and returned to find another chick had hatched. She did get off the nest for a bit today, it was hot 91, she returned to the last 5 eggs. She taught the babies how to eat fermented and dry feed as well as taught them to drink. 06/21/15 - the chicks are now 19 and 20 days old, they doing great and are learning to roost this past week. 06/29/15 - all three chicks are still with mama and they all can negotiate all the roosts in the run. They will be one week old in a few days and assume mom will fledge them soon.
07/08/15 - Mamcita began squatting on 07/06/15 - the chicks were moved to a friends house who has a broody with a chick that is about one week older. Mamacita integrated into flock consisting of the Fiesty Fiften, seven egg layers (1 years old) and a Buff Oph roo. Mamacita has the knack and will have place in our flock as a Mama.
