April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[TheCrazyChick]

Well, I may just have a broody hen to help me with my new hatching addicton. Black Copper Maran 7 or 8 months old. Wouldn't leave the nesting box all day yesterday. I worried that she was eggbound or something. Turns out she'd laid her daily egg, but just wouldn't move off of it. Every time I opend the lid she would hiss at me. Once I found the egg, she moved out into the sunshine.

But ...

Something is definitely amiss, since the 4 month olds have not gotten down off the roosts ALL DAY and the BCM is patrolling the floor area like a mad woman. The youngin's are obviously scared. It dawned on me she might be looking for her eggs, since I removed the golfballs yesterday from the nesting boxes that had been there since I moved the laying hens in 2 weeks ago.

So ...

I replaced the golfballs. Thought it might be interesting to see what might happen ... and she IMMEDIATELY went into the nest box.

I'm thinking broody hen. What say you?

 

[Partyfowl]

[COLOR=800080]Oh I forgot to say hello to everyone [/COLOR]

[COLOR=800080]And I've currently got 6 bourbon red turkey & 18 polish bantam eggs in the bator. Also have SLW, SFH & more bourbon reds on the way this week to set.[/COLOR]

I LOVED LOVED LOVED my bourbons! I'm so jealous!

 

[hokankai]

Blargh, my broody gave up after a week -_-. I have her 3 eggs in the bator and it's day 7 for them and they're developing. Not sure what I'm gonna do with them now though since I have 41 going into lockdown in a few days :\

 

[MayDayMel]

I'm reworking my incubator, but I can't wait to see everyone's babies!

 

[pogmobum]

Anyone due to hatch this week make sure to post pics!

 

[ddpbk1]

I have 8 swedish flowers that went into lockdown last night out of 15 shipped. 1 cracked and the others were clear or early death. I have 20+EO eggs to arrive later this week. I hatched 7 swedish flowers on March 1st one was wry necked and deformed toes that died and another has defromed toes that I'm going to have to cull, I thought she could be just a layer but not sure she will be able to handle her weight. 6 Welsummers hatched last weekend out of 13 shipped.

 

[pogmobum]

I had shipping problems to (cracks) culling most be the absolute worst part for me i find it so hard to do

 

[Mtn Margie]

Lawatt, that is a beautiful hen! Don't know much about the Basque breed, guess I will have to check it out.

 

[stilldeb]

I have five eggs under a broody silkie, a Sultan egg, couple of Silkies, and Silkie/Polish mix. Poor Marshmallow has been broody half her life & has never gotten to hatch anything so this is a first for both of us.

 

[lawatt]

Lawatt, that is a beautiful hen! Don't know much about the Basque breed, guess I will have to check it out.

thanks! she's unquestionably one of my favorites, very brave and curious and friendly. (she's named after eleanor roosevelt...)