Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[satay]

Congrats on being broody free. I think I might have 3, but will know tommorrow. I also got more than 1/2 dozen eggs from my flock today, for the first time ever, so I must have some new layers. Will have to try and get outside on wed or third to figure out who they are.

Congrats on the eggs.

 

[chicken-clucky]

Good morning everyone


@sjturner79
Congratulations on your eggs

 

[Deej211]

I have 2 broodies right now. An isaxindian game and a pekinxara good timing as I've put a few eggs im hoping were still fertile from my roo under them. One of the isax eggs exploded yesterday so i think I'll put some from the new roo under her to see how they turn out. He's slightly over crested so hoping he doesn't throw vaulted skulls..

 

[chicken-clucky]

I really want a broody so I can watch her be a mummy

 

[User395221]

Excuse my ignorance, but do hens know when eggs have chicks in them so they have to keep sitting on them and not just go off foraging and leave them for us to collect?

 

[appps]

Excuse my ignorance, but do hens know when eggs have chicks in them so they have to keep sitting on them and not just go off foraging and leave them for us to collect?

Nope. My hen happily sits on everything from straw, to plastic eggs to infertile ones from Coles while waiting for the proper ones in the mail to ones in the mail that never developed. The urge to sit on eggs has nothing to do with their being chicks in them and more just some urge by the hen. Even without a rooster they will try and hatch the unhatchable eggs.

Same the other way round they will totally ignore fertile eggs unless they have had that urge to nest (or gone broody)

 

[User395221]

Thanks, so unless you've got somebody "broody", fertile eggs could just sit there and never be chooks (without human intervention)?

 

[Teila]

Nope. My hen happily sits on everything from straw, to plastic eggs to infertile ones from Coles while waiting for the proper ones in the mail to ones in the mail that never developed. The urge to sit on eggs has nothing to do with their being chicks in them and more just some urge by the hen. Even without a rooster they will try and hatch the unhatchable eggs.

Same the other way round they will totally ignore fertile eggs unless they have had that urge to nest (or gone broody)

x 2 on all of the above but just wanted to add ... I do believe that, closer to the hatching date, the hen knows that she has viable eggs. Granted only a couple of days beforehand but Cilla gets quite antsy and starts talking to her eggs heaps about 3-4 days before they hatch.

So, just maybe, if they do start to think about giving up around the 17-18 day mark, knowing the eggs are viable could be an incentive to stay put.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Excuse my ignorance, but do hens know when eggs have chicks in them so they have to keep sitting on them and not just go off foraging and leave them for us to collect?

Once the hen is broody she will generally sit it out. She won't necessarily know the difference between a fertile egg and one that's not which is why it is best to candle them and ditch any that aren't. If the eggs are set at the same time they should all hatch within 24 hrs.

 

[User395221]

Thanks. I know so little "farm stuff" and how it all works.... There is always something new to learn.

I saw a pheasant at the chook farm and asked the lady what it was. I'd never seen one, I'd thought they were brown and ordinary, but this was brightly coloured.