Black Star hen gone broody in Camas, WA

[Nathan]

Thought I would share.

My 8 year old daughter and I have six year old hens, Black Star and Rhode Island Red.

Lately, a black star hen has been inhabiting the nest box. We pick the eggs out from under her and they are warm. Shey'll stay in there even if there is just the golf ball. I think the golf ball gets warm too.

She has as much chance of hatching the eggs as she does the golf ball, as we have no rooster.

But I have ceased to think of this as a problem, and am instead thinking of separating her into a separate chain link enclosure, putting some nesting material in a little tote box, and then slipping some eggs under her that would hatch.

Based on my limited research, it's possible up to 12 chicken eggs could fit under her, or maybe 6 turkey eggs. If I am lucky enough to find some valley quail eggs, would she hatch these okay or would she squish them?

Any other advice I should keep in mind? It's my first time having a broody hen, and I'll be reading up.

Anyone on this board live near Portland Oregon and have some eggs I should put under her? I'd prefer a good egg laying chicken breed, a heritage breed turkey, or valley quail.

Nathan

 

[savingdogs]

I think I just tried to respond to your CL ad about this but I'm not sure it went through.

We are in North Clark County but my husband works at a spot 20 minutes from you we could PM about.

We have Buff Orpington purebred eggs or Rhode island red crossed with Buff Orpington. I have eight BO hens and six RIR so it would take a day or two for that many, but I have some that have been at the right temperature right now too.

PM me if you are interested. I'd sell a dozen for 5 if you come to my hubby's work (Tuesday?)
Arin

 

[LaSombra]

I have a black star who is a momma also

She has 5 babies that she takes great care of... and they say sex links don't brood! I'm up in Lewis Co. I would share some of my eggs, but it looks like someone closer to you has already offered. I have a mix in my coop. Look at my sig below to see what I have in there. The roosters are EE and buff wyandotte.

only other advice I might offer is that if she's in a chain link enclosure, make sure that when the babies hatch, there's something blocking them from going through...

 

[Mahonri]

Wish one of my hens would go broody as my bators are clean and stored.

Congrats.... I have one gentle Black Star... I got one chick from her egg in my last hatch... BWA X BS and the chick is RED! Weird huh?

I'm praying it's a pullet as it would make a marvelous EE

 

[Tala]

My black sexlinks are half BO, and BO's DO go broody. One of their (half) sisters, that is pure BO is currently setting

so I wouldn't rule out my sexlinks as future mamas.

 

[Kittymomma]

Congrats on your broody! If you're going to move her I'd do it at night and wait for a day or two to see if she stays broody before buying any eggs to put under her. Sometimes, especially with the production breeds moving them can stop them from being broody. An alternitive to putting eggs under her is to just buy some day old chicks and stick those under her some night after she's been broody for a couple of weeks. I like doing that because I can buy pullets and not have to deal with as many extra roos as I get when I let them hatch eggs.

 

[Sequin]

Hey, I live in Camas!!!! How very cool is that?!!! And yes, I have eggs. Hmmm, let me see - they would be EE roo or d'Uccle roo crossed with Buff Orpington, Red Sex-Link, EE, or Black Australorp. If you want eggs, you are more than welcome to them!!! Just pm me and you can come get some.

 

[LaSombra]

by the way, do you know about the Washingtonian thread? Just thought I'd throw out an invite

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4269014#p4269014

 

[Nathan]

Thanks to all for the encouragement.

I'll be setting up the new enclosure today. I'll try moving her at night and see if she stays broody for a few days. If she does stick, I'll be getting eggs. Glad to know some of you are around here.

If it does look like we'll have chicks, I will need to wrap the enclosure with hardware cloth. I even wonder about some netting for the top for the hawks, owls, and bald eagles.

The goats might be disappointed to lose their back-scratcher (the chain link enclosure).

Has anyone had a broody hen hatch valley quail? I'm still leaning towards chickens, but I'm curious.

 

[Nathan]

Well, this is embarrassing. I believe I transferred the wrong hen last night. There were two hens in that nest box at night, so I had a 50/50 chance.

Broody was in her usual nest box, puffed up like a chuzzle when we check for eggs. A transfer didn't seem plausible in the daylight. I'll have to try again tonight. No guarantees.

The funny thing is that it is an astroturf rolldown nest. As other hens lay eggs, they just roll under Broody, and she takes care of them.