Gave my broody eggs tonight...first time for both of us...anyone else start some today, 4-4-12? - Page 5

Oh my lord! I'm so behind. I'll never get caught up!!

 

Gorgeous birds, everyone? How are all the eggs doing? I'm going to do a second candling tomorrow if I get a chance. I'd do it tonight but I'm to tired and I'm afraid I'll miss something OR toss a good egg.

I set five eggs under my broody hen 4 days ago, to morrow will be day 5. I'm so excited, this is our first time hatching . Our first. Tme having chickens as my girls just turned 1 year old last month. I will be candling on day 7 and 11 and 17 days.

Ms. Sissy completed her hatch last night and now has 6 new babies.

Well, I candled again today when I got home from work. Left early because I was sick, took some meds, and candled eggs. None of the turkey eggs made it, I tossed them out into the woods. Not even a hint of growth and something was stinking, so I went with them.  Cracked one open and they aren't even fertile. At least, that one wasn't. I just sold eggs to a few people, too. Had to call them all and tell them if the eggs didn't hatch, I would gladly refund their money.  Let them have good eggs! I collected again today, and will crack these open just to be sure!

 

As far as all of the other eggs go, they're doing good. I ended up adding about 45 eggs to the incubator, I will move the first batch of eggs into the hatchers at lockdown so I can keep turning these new eggs.

 

Also, my 15 year old Grey passed away this morning. Found him asleep on the ground beneath his perch. He will get a proper burial and I will have to collect whatever other eggs I can get from the ladies until they are no longer fertile. Hopefully a good replacement roo comes out of this batch of eggs!  I'm really sad to lose this guy. I got him when I was just a kid myself. 

 

How is everyone else doing?

Ok, that'a funny....must have been very tired when I said 23 days.  I meant 13!

 

I have been following this thread like this: .  I have never had a broody hen, and have been thinking about getting a hen that will potentially serve as a broody hen to help me hatch eggs.  I have a friend who has several Cochins and will trade me one for some of my pheasant hatching eggs.  I just have a few questions from those of you who have gone through this:

 

Do they need to have "access" to a rooster in order to go broody, or does that have anything to do with it? 

 

My plans were to put her in her own pen and wait.  If/when she goes broody, I was going to put eggs under her for hatching.  Is this a reasonable plan?

 

You all seem to have learned so much!  Now I hope to learn from you!  Thank you!!

They do not need a rooster to go broody. My buff who's sitting now has gone broody regularly in her 2-1/2 years. Only this spring do I have a rooster.

It might help to set a bunch of fake eggs in the nest. If a hen sees a nest full of eggs she might be convinced to start brooding more than if it's empty. There's no way to anticipate or force it, though. They do it when they want to, NOT when you want them to.