Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

Grats! Actually had a question regarding brooding lol. My girls are now, between 18, producing an average of a dozen eggs a day total from both flocks...Im stoked lol, but now, when I remove their eggs, one or two of my hens stand at the nest and almost cry lol, sounds funny I know. So we left the eggs in the nest, was 9 in there a day ago, today there is 13, but nobody actively sitting. Are they maybe just getting into feeling motherhood, so to speak? Not sure which way to go. Thanks guys, and welcome to all our newer AZ members! Im in casa grande btw

Wow, you were replying to my hatch back in July. I have not been hatching by broody hen's. I have been taking the eggs and putting them in an incubator. If you want to have a broody hatch out eggs, then you need to give her a space of her own in the coop with just the amount of eggs that she can be able to handle for her size (being able to fully cover them) or if not that many then you can choose. To have her in with the other hens can create squabbles of the nesting box, cause broken eggs, and the other hens will continue to add more eggs to the pile as you have seen.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@Btruax Take the eggs out if you have no one actively setting. They'll just get broken. WHEN you do have a broody you need to mark the eggs with a pencil/marker so you know which are broody eggs for hatching. The other hens will lay in the nest. You don't want to leave them there. Also make sure the broody is where you want them to be to hatch babies. Safe, out of wind, rain, etc..etc. They aren't crying - they are just talking to you telling you how much work it was to get this egg to you. A broody hen sits on those eggs almost 24/7 - just a bit to eat, poop and drink - then back to the eggs. BTW where in CG are you? I'm off Hanna Road between 11 Mile Corner Road and Estrella.

 

[cactusrota]

Grats! Actually had a question regarding brooding lol. My girls are now, between 18, producing an average of a dozen eggs a day total from both flocks...Im stoked lol, but now, when I remove their eggs, one or two of my hens stand at the nest and almost cry lol, sounds funny I know. So we left the eggs in the nest, was 9 in there a day ago, today there is 13, but nobody actively sitting. Are they maybe just getting into feeling motherhood, so to speak? Not sure which way to go. Thanks guys, and welcome to all our newer AZ members! Im in casa grande btw

What time of day are you pulling eggs? I've learned to wait until sunset or right before they start filing in to roost for the night, because they will lay at all times of the day. A broody hen will sit hard on the eggs, and if you reach under her to get them she may growl and might even peck at you. One that's just laying an egg, but hasn't gone broody, might get flinchy and jump off the nest if you reach in.

 

[Babycat ranch]

We are a small chicken farm - we breed & hatch americauna, Easter eggers, Rhode Island Red, wellsummer, Dominique, leghorn& a couple breeds of bantams- in some cases these breeds are overlapping & mixed - we call those babies our chexmix! Our Chex mix has delewares & lace Wyandotte. All our little ones are hand raised & thoughtfully cared for. We are in casa grande & our prices are reasonable $3 for new chicks except bantams $5. As the get bigger the price goes up from there. We have 3 pot belly pigs, 1 horse that doesn't get ridden near enough, 2 dogs, 3 cats & a 5 year old - it's actually my sons business & we are just CPO's (chief poop officers). He's learning responsibility & reward, money management & salesmanship as well as construction (building & painting etc). He is truly a chicken whisperer!
We would love to meet you and meet your chicken needs- and show you around babycat ranch!
We are also on Craigslist as babycat ranch & phone number is there.

 

[Babycat ranch]

What time of day are you pulling eggs? I've learned to wait until sunset or right before they start filing in to roost for the night, because they will lay at all times of the day. A broody hen will sit hard on the eggs, and if you reach under her to get them she may growl and might even peck at you. One that's just laying an egg, but hasn't gone broody, might get flinchy and jump off the nest if you reach in.

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[Babycat ranch]

My girls & Roos are sad when I collect the eggs too- not surprised since there is such celebration by all when an egg is laid! I incubate mine in one of 7 incubators- I would love to have it the way nature intended but I'm sure I wouldn't have as many babies to sell!

 

[Babycat ranch]

We are in the county island off McCartney & overfield- we call it dirtopia- we transplanted from Colorado

 

[BlueBaby]

View attachment 1290675 We are a small chicken farm - we breed & hatch americauna, Easter eggers, Rhode Island Red, wellsummer, Dominique, leghorn& a couple breeds of bantams- in some cases these breeds are overlapping & mixed - we call those babies our chexmix! Our Chex mix has delewares & lace Wyandotte. All our little ones are hand raised & thoughtfully cared for. We are in casa grande & our prices are reasonable $3 for new chicks except bantams $5. As the get bigger the price goes up from there. We have 3 pot belly pigs, 1 horse that doesn't get ridden near enough, 2 dogs, 3 cats & a 5 year old - it's actually my sons business & we are just CPO's (chief poop officers). He's learning responsibility & reward, money management & salesmanship as well as construction (building & painting etc). He is truly a chicken whisperer!
We would love to meet you and meet your chicken needs- and show you around babycat ranch!
We are also on Craigslist as babycat ranch & phone number is there.

Welcome to BYC and our AZ. thread! We have a couple of our other people here that live near you.

 

[BlueBaby]

My girls & Roos are sad when I collect the eggs too- not surprised since there is such celebration by all when an egg is laid! I incubate mine in one of 7 incubators- I would love to have it the way nature intended but I'm sure I wouldn't have as many babies to sell!

I'm a hatching addict, so I have to agree with you there. You just can't put as many eggs under a broody hen as you can in an incubator!

 

[MagicChicken]

@Tbarr334 I always use the 18 week mark for my time frames. You can finally give them layer feed and they are checking out the nest boxes. Usually within a 2 to 3 week time period you get little eggs. You have 3 that are close. I don't know about the molting thing - it is a bit late for that and your birds shouldn't molt until after they are a year old. I would check for mites, just in case, as I remember they sometimes cause feather loss. The others sound like they are about ready to be big girls. Are they getting enough light? I know I am still using my timer for the 14 hours of light thing. Just a few musings that might make sense and be of use. Soon you will have eggs, soon.

Just for the record, my birds go through several molts/partial molts during their first 6-8 months. And I can find some of the adults molting at almost any time of year. It's annoying for me. Probably more annoying for them.