Bantam Cochin Half Broody???

[BarbiD]

My bantam cochin starting laying 14 days ago. For about the last week, she goes into the nesting box and sits for HOURS...like 2-4 hours. We have two nesting boxes and 6 hens; 5 of which are laying. Most of my girls lay their egg in about 20-30 minutes. I first thought that since Ginger is last in the pecking order and is often pecked at and spends a lot of her time off alone, that maybe she was just getting the other girls back by camping out in the "favorite" nesting box. But I'm now seeing her breast feathers in the both boxes. She does eventually get up and spends the rest of the day free ranging. She doesn't hiss at me when I open the box and pet her or collect eggs from the other box. I just don't know??? Do small cochins take more time to lay? She didn't seem to the first week...or maybe I just didn't notice?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some hens will sit in the boxes for hours, others are in and out. Younger layers aren't as stretched out and used to the sensations so they probably go in the box earlier than an experienced hen. Some hens take it seriously, others just want to get it done. Your hen will eventually go broody but usually they wait until spring.

 

[BarbiD]

Some hens will sit in the boxes for hours, others are in and out. Younger layers aren't as stretched out and used to the sensations so they probably go in the box earlier than an experienced hen. Some hens take it seriously, others just want to get it done. Your hen will eventually go broody but usually they wait until spring.

Great to know! Thank you!!

 

[BarbiD]

Reporting back that we are full blown BROODY! Yesterday she was in there over 7 hours so I went ahead and cleaned the coop. Normally, I wait until the girls are done laying if someone is already in the nesting box when I let them out of the run in the morning. I collected the eggs and didn't think another thing about it. Today, I go out and, of course, Ginger is in the nesting box when I open the run. Checking back a few hours later, she is still there but another one of my hens is in the same box with her! Didn't expect that LOL. So I left them and worried about broken eggs for a few more hours. 2 PM I go back out and Ginger is still sitting in the same box. I lift her up and she's on two eggs that don't belong to her (one was the other hen's that was in there with her earlier this morning). Well, I culled my two roosters a week ago, so I didn't expect the eggs to be fertile. Took her out and collected the eggs...checked here and sure enough those eggs could be fertile. Thanks, ya'll for all the info I get here . So now, I've marked those two eggs and she's happily trying to hatch some eggs. I've read 21 days, is that right? Should I be doing anything for her while she is sitting? Should I put some more eggs in there? When I collect eggs, I only place them in my egg basket on the kitchen counter and wash them before I get ready to use them....so are they all fertile? I wouldn't mind at all two more hens to replace the two roosters I had.

Thanks!

 

[aart]

Reporting back that we are full blown BROODY! Yesterday she was in there over 7 hours so I went ahead and cleaned the coop. Normally, I wait until the girls are done laying if someone is already in the nesting box when I let them out of the run in the morning. I collected the eggs and didn't think another thing about it. Today, I go out and, of course, Ginger is in the nesting box when I open the run. Checking back a few hours later, she is still there but another one of my hens is in the same box with her! Didn't expect that LOL. So I left them and worried about broken eggs for a few more hours. 2 PM I go back out and Ginger is still sitting in the same box. I lift her up and she's on two eggs that don't belong to her (one was the other hen's that was in there with her earlier this morning). Well, I culled my two roosters a week ago, so I didn't expect the eggs to be fertile. Took her out and collected the eggs...checked here and sure enough those eggs could be fertile. Thanks, ya'll for all the info I get here . So now, I've marked those two eggs and she's happily trying to hatch some eggs. I've read 21 days, is that right? Should I be doing anything for her while she is sitting? Should I put some more eggs in there? When I collect eggs, I only place them in my egg basket on the kitchen counter and wash them before I get ready to use them....so are they all fertile? I wouldn't mind at all two more hens to replace the two roosters I had.

Thanks!

Is she staying on nest all day and all night?
How did you check the 2 eggs for fertility...are you just going by the fact that the cock/erel has only need gone a week and other eggs you've broken to eat appear fertile?
Less than 24 hours you could add eggs, or might be best to remove those 2 eggs and place all fresh eggs under her so you don't have a staggered hatch.
Yes, 21 days, give or take a few days.

Some folks will warn you off incubating pullet eggs, they may not develop properly.....
......if they do hatch, the chicks will probably be smaller than out of a larger egg from an older bird.
It can work tho, the chicks will be tiny, but can catch up in growth...have seen it happen.

Good place to read about broody's and ask questions:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

 

[BarbiD]

Wow....I feel dumb!! I have no idea how to tell if an egg is fertile :/ I will research that lol and yes she is on the nest night and day

 

[BarbiD]

Yes! They are fertile. I see the white dot

 

[aart]

Yes! They are fertile. I see the white dot

The white dot will be there regardless, the blastodisc......it the 'bullseye' around the white dot that indicates fertility.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[BarbiD]

The white dot will be there regardless, the blastodisc......it the 'bullseye' around the white dot that indicates fertility.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[BarbiD]

Here's one of her eggs from a couple days ago. Fertile?