- Jun 26, 2011
- 30
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I have 16 hens and my one Australorp hen (Joan Jett) decided to go broody on Friday. Also on Friday I got 4 new Ameraucana hens that are in my temp coop (next to the bigger one - just to get acquainted thru the fence for a while). These new hens have been with an Ameraucana rooster before I brought them home so I am going to "assume" they are still fertile. My thought was I would steal the the other eggs (which are White Robust Bovin, RRR, or Orpington crossed with Orpington rooster) out from under her and replace them with the Ameraucana pure eggs - which are pale green and sage colors. I'd like more Ameraucanas.
These should be easy enough to do with the colors of the eggs but my problem may be Joan Jett.
My nest box is mounted to the side of the coop. It is 3 up and 3 down but they are all above the ground. She started off in the middle box on one brown egg yesterday. Tonight she is in the top right box sitting on 5 eggs, she abandoned the one she had been sitting on for a day. I'm assuming, again that's all I can do because I'm at work all day so I don't collect eggs till around 4:30 each night. So I'm guessing she got up to eat and stretch, saw all the other groups of eggs and decided 5 was better than her one... and moved.
By the way, she's a bit grumpy and really doesn't like me moving them or touching her.. so it's challenging for me to swap out eggs. But I do it! Tonight I took away her 5 eggs and replaced them with the one green egg that was laid today. I may only get one Ameraucana egg per day... is it better to hold them all until I can swap 5 for 5 or do what I'm doing?
I have a feeling the same thing will happen tomorrow that happened today - she'll get up and see the other groups of eggs and decide her one green one is not where she wants to be. She obviously wants to set on eggs so I may as well try this!
Any thoughts about the eggs?
I do know that in another week the 4 new hens will be joining the "general population" and I will be using our other temp coop for the brooder. I'll attempt to move Joan in the night with her eggs and hope she doesn't abandon the idea at that point. The old coop has nest boxes that are level with the coop and we can put up a border in front of the pop door so momma can get out but little chickies can't fall out. I have 15 days or so to make that switch....
Wish us luck!
Thanks for any help/advice you might have!!
Kathy
These should be easy enough to do with the colors of the eggs but my problem may be Joan Jett.
My nest box is mounted to the side of the coop. It is 3 up and 3 down but they are all above the ground. She started off in the middle box on one brown egg yesterday. Tonight she is in the top right box sitting on 5 eggs, she abandoned the one she had been sitting on for a day. I'm assuming, again that's all I can do because I'm at work all day so I don't collect eggs till around 4:30 each night. So I'm guessing she got up to eat and stretch, saw all the other groups of eggs and decided 5 was better than her one... and moved.
By the way, she's a bit grumpy and really doesn't like me moving them or touching her.. so it's challenging for me to swap out eggs. But I do it! Tonight I took away her 5 eggs and replaced them with the one green egg that was laid today. I may only get one Ameraucana egg per day... is it better to hold them all until I can swap 5 for 5 or do what I'm doing?
I have a feeling the same thing will happen tomorrow that happened today - she'll get up and see the other groups of eggs and decide her one green one is not where she wants to be. She obviously wants to set on eggs so I may as well try this!
Any thoughts about the eggs?
I do know that in another week the 4 new hens will be joining the "general population" and I will be using our other temp coop for the brooder. I'll attempt to move Joan in the night with her eggs and hope she doesn't abandon the idea at that point. The old coop has nest boxes that are level with the coop and we can put up a border in front of the pop door so momma can get out but little chickies can't fall out. I have 15 days or so to make that switch....
Wish us luck!
Thanks for any help/advice you might have!!
Kathy
