Are Your Hens Setting On Eggs Yet? 2012 POULT FORECAST

[kuntrygirl]

One of my Bourbon Red girls hatched out 11 poults 5 days ago (She started with about 18 or so eggs). They are safe and warm in my kitchen, where predators won't get them. She is moping in the yard and the other jennie's are picking on her.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get the other jennie's to accept her back????   She is their sister. The jakes already accepted her back... of course, but those other 5 girls run a tight clique. One of the other jennies has started a clutch on my back portch and is up to about 6 eggs so far now too.

Awwwwwww, poor baby. I think it will just take time for them to accept her back into the group. Too bad she can't win them back by treats.

Congrats on the hatch.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I've had 1 more to hatch. I have 2 girls setting on eggs.

 

[Mort Bondurant]

At 47 degrees north, ain't nuttin' yet. Got the incubator ready though.

Mort

 

[douglashappyfarm]

our royal palm is setting on one egg started jan 17 joe&diane

 

[zzGypsy]

I've got one setting, just checked the date, she started setting on 1/7, so in theory there could be poults any day now. I may have to pull the poults as they hatch though, when she got up today there's at least 2 turkey eggs that aren't marked (I marked the first ones in there) and 3 chicken eggs! don't know HOW those got there.

or perhaps if she gets multiples hatched I'll pull the rest of the eggs and pop them in the incubator.

or maybe there won't be any hatching because it took her several days to decide if she was setting or not, and while I've seen plenty of struting I've *yet* to see any actual breeding.

so basically I have no idea...

 

[java girl 2]

I have 7 turkey and 2 chicken eggs to hatch on the 8th so

the eggs are under a narragansett hen that I was going to breed but she had other plans

I tryed everthing under the sun to breack her up

so I said to her, if you want to be a mom have at it!!! I am waiting to see if she will be a good mom .vs. my bourbon red hen "brownie" from last year. I told my mom my chickens and turkeys DO NOT GO BY THE BOOKS!!!!!!

THE BOOK SAID THAT YOU CAN NOT MOVE A TURKEY HEN WHEN SHE IS BROODY, IF YOU DO SHE WILL BRACK UP!!! WELL I HAD TO MOVE HER 5-8 TIMES TO NEW PLASES AND SHE'S STILL BROODY!!!! I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOUD

OR

 

[newduckie]

One of my BBW's is flirting with the idea of being broody. She will sit in the nest box all day and not let Gracie in to lay her egg. Then when I take Eva's egg away she lets Gracie in and pretty much sits with her head up Gracie's butt waiting for her to lay. Eva then steals Gracie's egg as soon as she lays it. It's funny cause Gracie will look under herself and she cant figure out what happened to her egg. Neither of the girls are bred so I need to get some fertilized eggs for them. I'm thinking about some Midget Whites or some Bourbon Red.

Whoever said BBW's aren't good layers never met my girls. They have been laying daily since last Sept. They lay more regular than the geese and ducks that are in the other half of the coop. Can't wait to see what kind of mothers they will be.

I thought that they didnt lay all year. Maybe something is wrong with all my poultry because my geese are not laying and in past years only lay in the spring for a few months. Turkeys only lay in the late spring and only about a dozen eggs and they are done for another year. Wonder why this is? maybe they are too fat and spoiled and know that they have no job other than walking and eating???? lol

 

[flocksalot]

I have a light on in the greenhouse where they are living. It keeps the predators away and the girls keep laying. Since they are in a greenhouse the minute the skies begin to lighten they notice. The light is small, red, and low. They can get into a darkened area any time they want. They just prefere to stay near the light. I've shut the light out for them to go through a molt, but they decided they would rather lay eggs. Right now I'm planning to get the Beltsville White eggs for them to set. Gracie and Eva are the sweetest girls and I look forward to them having some eggs to hatch.

My geese just started their molt a few weeks ago. They laid through the Christmas season egg rush and a bit beyond, so they have definatley earned their keep. One is broody right now, so I am considering giving her some duck eggs to hatch. The ducks are Khaki Campbells and are awesome layers. They too have earned their keep. With Valentines cakes coming, all their eggs are spoken for, but once that rush passes I can let poor Sadie set some. The Geese are going through a very fast molt. One morning they looked like someone had striped them bare and the next like they have a bit of porcupine in them, so I don't expect them to be off for too long. We will surely have plenty of spring babies around. We keep the fast molters as they get back to the business of laying real quick.

So yes in the wild or a natural setting they will be off for the winter and back on in the spring, but ours is a working farm and we need the sale of the eggs to continue to support the animals. I don't necessarily want the turkeys to continue to lay over the winter, but I don't want the predators to eat them either. Predators will try to find a way in no matter the setting, so I use as my parents and grandparents used a simple light to keep them at bay. My girls are my pets much like my parrots are my indoor pets and are such treated and kept very well. The fact that they lay or don't lay is of no concern, but when they do it is a bonus. Since their eggs aren't fertilized we need to look elsewhere for eggs. My toms are just way to big to do AI by myself and my husband gets all grossed out when I ask him to help. Pansy.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Lots of mating here too, and they just started laying again last week. One gal's been broody all winter, so I let her set on some "stealth nest" chicken eggs I found. Three Australorp chicks hatched, but one got squished

 

[douglashappyfarm]

We have a royal palm hen that is sitting on 4 goose eggs.
Joe & Diane
douglas happy farm