Community setting-does it work?

greenSearcher

Songster
9 Years
Aug 22, 2010
459
9
111
Texoma
Annie-not has been broody and sitting on her feet for weeks in the coop, and would not accept a nest of eggs in the large dog kennel I have for nesting mamas. So I finally gave her 6 eggs, and let her sit in "her" nest box. Well the 6 eggs jumped to 9, and then 4 eggs were kicked out, and yesterday when I checked it was up by 3, those being contributed by her hatch-mate Blackie. Blackie normally subs when Annie-not takes her daily constitutional. Today I found one of the Rojas subbing, a naked neck sister. One thing we have noticed, is that she often places the eggs close to her, but not under her, and I was wondering if that is because it is hot and she is keeping the eggs at a viable temperature. Today was in the 90's, and the nest box is on the south side of the coop. I have propped the door ajar so the wind keeps the air moving while she is shaded. Last summer I took all the eggs away from the hens that went broody because of the heat, but so far, we have had only one 100+ day. Will see plenty in a couple 3 weeks, by the end of June. What is the likely hood that the eggs will hatch. I am pretty certain that most are fertile, PJ services his hens thoroughly. My first experience with a broody was Miss Stink, and she was the Zen Hen, babies hatched on day 21, and she has been taking them out foraging since day 3. They are 2 weeks old, and one of my old chickens (3yr) acts the grandma, and is there with them all day long. Until the babies hatched she had no interest in any of her sisters, she is from the same hatch that Annie-not and the rest.
Annie-not's name is because I got some Naked Neck chicks nearly 2 years ago, and the all girls were named Annie, and were red, except for Annie Black, and the roo was named Oakley, Annie-not is from a clutch of my eggs that I incubated, where I had 3 chicks from Oakley and an Annie, but the 3rd chick didn't get the Na gene, and is normally feathered, thus she is Annie-not..
 

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