Jackie's Great Adventure, 1st time hatching eggs Ongoing post here!

[Maryallison77]

So I hope some members here at BYC will share this with me. I have had a few other posts about my chicken Jackie and when she went broody.

So My Japanesse Bantam Jackie went broody about 2 months ago. Recently I bought her some eggs off a very nice woman on E-bay. I have never done this before! Few weeks ago I didn't know I could give Jackie eggs--haha

So this is our cute little chicken adventure! Let's see if Jackie can hatch out the eggs!

Here is Jackie in the nestbox before she had the eggs:

 

[swtangel321]

Awww, so cute !!! I hope she can

She looks like she would be a good mama hen !!

Keep us updated !!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Has she been broody for these past 2 months? If so, that's some dedication! I'm surprised she didn't go purchase her own eggs from Ebay before now. It's always so impressive how these hens can just set for so long, so calm & quiet, without TV or magazines or knitting or cigarettes, simply self-contained in The Broody Zone. Although actually, they're in a state of quiet alertness -- just try to disturb them & you'll get a face-full of defensive Mama hen!

Do let us know how she progresses. It's always fun to watch a Mama hen with baby chickies. I have several mixed-breed bantam hens that keep going broody. For a while I would discourage them by putting them in a separate wire-bottomed cage. Then I decided I should be letting these bantams hatch out eggs from my standard-breed layers. There's sure to be folks willing to buy the pullets, & the cockerels are good enough for the table.

Right now I have 3 hens with chicks and 3 more setting on eggs. I think one is due to hatch on Thanksgiving, the others due a few days before & after. There are also 2 other bantams laying in a hidden spot behind the duck house. I have marked 4 of the eggs there, and keep taking the 2 newest eggs out each day. I wonder which one will eventually set in that spot, or if they'll set together, or right next to each other.
Congratulations on your eggs, Jackie, have a great set & 100% hatch!

 

[Maryallison77]

Here we are at day 5! Eggs seem nice and warm everytime I scope them out! The only time I get to look at them is when I feed the chickens and she comes down to eat for like a minute! She does not stay gone long--haha!

So all is seeming good I guess. Oh I forgot to mention that she is sitting on 7 Americanna eggs. And she seems to cover them just fine! Iwa nta to candle them last night, but it was kinda cool outside and I was ready to get back to the house.

 

[SGM]

She's right cute on her nest!!! Hope the eggs hatch for you and Jackie!!!

 

[Maryallison77]

Yes Sunny she has been broody for like 2 months. I read about people using the wire bottom cages to break them of it and almost did that. Then I thought to myself how fun this could be!

Here are some more pics of our little adventure here!

Here are the eggs soon as I opened them from E-bay:

I numbered the eggs and put them in the nestbox, I put the large sides up, but Jackie moved them soon after

 

[Maryallison77]

A few more pics of my mom to be (fingers crossed!) This is her sitting on the eggs.....looking determinded!

And this is a picture of Lacy sitting on Jackie. For some reason the nestbox jackie picked is a favorite amung the chickens! For some reason they just sit on Jackie and lay eggs--hehe! It is funny to see!

 

[Maryallison77]

I used a flashlight behind the eggs on 11-11-08 and this were my results....remember I have never done this before and this was my kids flashlight I used--haha

Jackie has 7 eggs and here is what I think I saw

egg 1 looks solid

egg 2 looks like there is something in it

egg 3 looks like something is in it

egg 4 looks good like something is there

egg 5 is solid looking

egg 6 solid

egg 7 is really hollow looking

Now I have no clue what this means, but by keeping track I might know next time.

 

[dancingchicken77]

what a sweet, mothery little hen jackie is

 

[Maryallison77]

THANKS!!!