anyone ever had a pekin hen go setty?? i heard it's not possible?

[cedarcroft]

...but i do believe i have a pekin settin on about 10 eggs. Man who gave me our 1st pekins told me they don't go setty so last year i used the bator. My bator is hatching turkeys right now, when they're done on the 30th-31st should i steal the eggs out from under her and put them in the bator? She gets a name for this BTW, she has distinguised herself therefore she shall be called... Betty. Gosh she hisses something fierce when i even open the coop door so all the other pekins have been evicted so that she can have her privacy. Hope she sticks to it...anyone else do pekins by natural-hatch?

 

[duckyfromoz]

My pekin has gone broody a heap of times - maybe as many as ten times since I have had her. Sadly she doesnt choose the best nesting spots though- and doesnt have much success with actually hatching since she normally sits in a pile of gravel- she looses an egg every few days because of the rough surface. But she will start laying almost straight away and start sitting two weeks later again. I have tried to add some straw and give her a better place to sit- but she likes the gravel- Silly girl. I recently moved her to an area she cant get near the gravel- but she isnt laying at the moment. When she does hatch she is a great mom- very protective. Good luck with duck - hope she does stay put for you.

 

[cedarcroft]

thanks ducky from oz!

 

[Wifezilla]

Duck breeds not known for going broody CAN have individuals get all maternal on you. Some get the urge but don't follow through. Others end up being excellent moms. Case in point, my psycho runner that hatched a clutch of Welsh Harlequin eggs. 12 babies, all healthy.

Heck, I even had a coturnix quail go broody! These things NEVER go broody!

So the lesson is, while certain domestic breeds are not dependable as broodies, some within each breed will be able to carry it off.

 

[cedarcroft]

Cutest pics, & good stories, thanks wifezilla. i am thinking about moving Betty pekin into my 'broody cabinets' in the barn that way all the other quackers (pekins) can have their coop back - last nite they stayed in the barn and of course pooped everywhere - i will weigh this carefully after all i don't want to traumatize Betty, she's mom so she comes first...i think she'd probably beat me up if i went anywhere near her anyway...if i can at least get her eggs in the barn, if not Betty herself, then maybe Daisy muscovy (#1 reliable mom around here) will set Betty's eggs for me.

 

[Countrypunk92]

Awwww,Look at the babies!!

The runner looks tired

 

[Wifezilla]

She was trying to scare me off