I didn't have any hope for the intact eggs. They looked like the worlds most psychotic baker had iced them with the stinkiest, most foul buttercream icing the world has ever seen. If I had been able to stomach the smell, I probably would have cleaned them and then candled before tossing. However...
I went out to check on my broody tonight. Almost all of her eggs were broken under her. Her underside is caked with broken, rotten egg. The four she had left were filthy and I threw them out.
I'm going to try to get out tomorrow and give her a bath. If she's still broody after that, I might...
Well there we have it. Broody hen had a whopping 32 eggs under her! One was stinky and two had blood rings. Most of the rest were clear or had iffy signs of veins so she hasn't been on them for more than a day or three. I didn't cull as ruthlessly as I originally wanted and I left her with all...
Again because of the heat, I have not been out gathering or even looking at eggs. I don't have any to give her to start fresh so the best I can do is guess age while candling.
For now the plan is to just toss the stinky ones and anything that's remotely questionable, so that they will all fit...
I'm really terrible at hatch-a-long participation, but I think I have yet another broody sitting on a gigantic pile of eggs. I start off well, but then I always run out of steam when it comes to pictures at the end. Doesn't help that I'm pregnant and the summer heat is killing me. :P I apologise...
^ Completely true! I was fascinated the first day my broody took the babies out into the run. I picked up the food dish and it's like she noticed it for the first time. She attacked the dish, knocking it out of my hand and started pecking like crazy. Then she stopped for a second and made this...
Mrs. Broody has decided that three chicks is enough TYVM and has left the other three eggs on the nest, and has taken her babies outside for a walk. I went out to check this morning and one of the eggs has pipped. As much as I told myself I was not going to interfere, here I am with two hatching...
No idea. I removed the shells from mine afterwards to see which ones were out. My guess is they either eat them or ignore them.
Mrs. Broody has taken her chicks on a walk outside of the broody house already. They're so stinking cute. I just hope she returns to the other eggs in time to finish...
I checked on Mrs. Broody this morning and she's up to three chicks, (including the EE, yay!). Yesterday we buried the one egg that died while zipping, and she now has three left. None of those three have pipped but she could have been on that nest for four or more days while other hens laid eggs...
I was wrong. The second egg hatched, a third one pipped. I think the first one is dead. I got a closer look and it appears to have a slightly crossed beak. I didn't see any movement. :/ Oh well. The only one I've got my heart set on is the EE.
No progress in the other eggs yet, but that's not...
Well... there it is. I managed to force myself to stay in bed this morning and when I finally went out I discovered one hatched chick, black as night and beautiful. Probably female. The second pipped egg now looks like this one did last night and a third egg is pipped like the second one was...
I have PIPS! OMG PIPS!
I spent several hours reading an old broody hen thread this evening. Just before I was ready to go to bed I wanted to go check on Mrs. Broody, maybe candle the two iffy eggs. I went out and had a look, they seemed fine, nothing unusual. I picked up an iffy one and...
Sneaky Mrs. Broody somehow got out of the pen this afternoon. I discovered her sitting on the eggs in the litter box on the back porch. I tossed her back in and she went right to her eggs. I checked the pen. I have no idea how she got out. Sneaky chickens.
Oh @MesMama what a broody mess you have there. I hope hubby gets those boxes done for you, soon, lol.
In my hen house, Mrs. Alpha decided she's not so broody after all, and that's ok with me. I went out yesterday morning to find Mrs. Broody fluffed up and stomping around the backyard chasing...
I found a picture. The chick pen is essentially a 2 ft x 4 ft dog house with an off-center door on the large face and a 7ft x 4 ft run built in on that same side. It has four doors, two that open up to view the inside, and two that open over the run. One of each on each side. These doors open...