First time with a broody and eggs! Hatch with me! I need advice! - Page 7

Here is a picture of the latest-

Sooo cute!! I hope that other one hatches for you!

thanks so much for this thread - I've learned a lot!  we are fairly new to chickens and have our first broody hen and been wondering what to do.

That is just beautiful.  I think there is nothing so beautiful as a hen with chicks.

Wednesday is day 21 for Mama S, but my experience hatching Sumatra's incubated or Broody is it starts on day 19. So it might start on monday again for me!

thanks! and I agree. There have been so many moments this week I wished the camera was ready and on me. She has been out teaching them the ways of the chicken world.

Yes - thank you so much for this thread!

I brought "Beautiful," a LF Barred Rock, home Sunday. She was fluffed up and cluck, cluck, clucking. I've seen broody before, but thought this might be her way of dealing with her new circumstances. The only place she was safe from Ansel, the LF Barred Rock cockerel, was in the nest box. So, when she took to it and stayed there, I thought she was just smart and hiding out. She did get out of the nest, but hung around in the coop growling and plumping her feathers at the others. Monday, while I was away during the day, she moved into the nest box in another coop where she was by herself, and where she stayed.

Hmmm, broody??? I phoned the man I got her from, and he said would collect some fertile eggs from his birds, Bantam and LF Rocks, and we could "load her up." Meanwhile, she sat on one of her own eggs. Tuesday morning, he came as promised with twelve eggs, and she's been faithfully sitting since. When she was off the nest late Tuesday afternoon, I cut a piece of sod and placed it on the floor of the nest box; he had suggested I do this to maintain humidity and cushion the eggs a bit. I placed a couple of inches of pine shavings on top of the grass side down sod, and then replaced the eggs in the nest.

I was - and could say still am - unsure whether she will go the distance. I guess that little anxiety never goes away. I don't have a back up, i.e., incubator.

Reading this thread, the posts from both those with experience in the natural hatching process and those who are wondering about the whole thing, is very helpful!

So, thank you all very much!!! Here's hoping!