BLUE ISBARS - Pictures and discussion

[robgray]

My blue Isbar left me a pretty egg today as always!

 

[ChicKat]

That really IS pretty!!

 

[Angie16hearts]

Beautiful egg!!!!!

 

[Purpletie3]

My blue Isbar left me a pretty egg today as always!

What a beautiful egg. Very cool. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Blulaced Damsel]

I think one of my Isbars has decided to go broody. Usually if I walk in and give anyone in the nesting box a pet they don't have much reaction and stay very quiet. This one "chortles" when I walk into the coop and her hackles all puff up when I reach in there. She is sitting on a fake egg and has not laid one of her own today. When I reached under her for the fake egg she put her head down there and seemed very coveting of it...
This all started today- is this what broody looks like or should I be worried that she is just staying in the nesting box because her own egg hasn't popped out yet?

If it's that she's gone broody (this will be my first attempt at hatching with a hen!) how do I go about picking the eggs that I want her to sit on? I have all black colored hens (2nd gen Isbar from Greenfire), one Blue roo and one Black roo (from the same shipment-- is it BAD to use a rooster that is from the same place/shipment?)

I have a separate pen (which houses one old, non laying, and cranky RIR, and two rogue hens that won't stay put in their run, they keep finding their way out and into my garden). I have been calling it the "Naughty Pen", but maybe I need to select a couple of the best hens and put my color pick for rooster in there?

so many questions, such random organization in this post, sorry!!

 

[LadyCluck77]

She might be broody. Check tonight and tomorrow morning to see if she doesn't go up to roost, but stays all night in the nest box.
They usually only come off the nest very briefly to eat, drink, and poop, once a day.

If she seems serious about really doing it, choose about 6 or so of the fertile eggs, mark them in pencil with the date, to try putting under her. Wear gloves too, because they usually bite the hand that gets too close. I would choose the blue roo over black isbar hens, but it's up to you in what colors or traits you want to choose.

Usually, if it works for you, it's best not to move them unless you have to. If you have enough nest boxes and space, let her stay where she is until she hatches them.

I'm in the same boat as you right now, I've got a Broody silkie, sitting on a fake egg. I'm debating whether to let her try the 21 day challenge, or to break her.
Winter is coming and I'm not sure about having chicks this time of year.

There is also a great broody hen thread that tells all about other people's experiences.

Good luck!

 

[Purpletie3]

I think one of my Isbars has decided to go broody. Usually if I walk in and give anyone in the nesting box a pet they don't have much reaction and stay very quiet. This one "chortles" when I walk into the coop and her hackles all puff up when I reach in there. She is sitting on a fake egg and has not laid one of her own today. When I reached under her for the fake egg she put her head down there and seemed very coveting of it...
This all started today- is this what broody looks like or should I be worried that she is just staying in the nesting box because her own egg hasn't popped out yet?

If it's that she's gone broody (this will be my first attempt at hatching with a hen!) how do I go about picking the eggs that I want her to sit on? I have all black colored hens (2nd gen Isbar from Greenfire), one Blue roo and one Black roo (from the same shipment-- is it BAD to use a rooster that is from the same place/shipment?)

I have a separate pen (which houses one old, non laying, and cranky RIR, and two rogue hens that won't stay put in their run, they keep finding their way out and into my garden). I have been calling it the "Naughty Pen", but maybe I need to select a couple of the best hens and put my color pick for rooster in there?

so many questions, such random organization in this post, sorry!!

Has she been laying? It takes them forever to lay an egg...like sometimes hours. I don't know how Isbars are about being broody. KYTinpusher may weigh in on this. I have five female isbars and none of them have gone broody but they are young...and the only ones laying eggs well for me!

You can stick some fertile eggs under her and try. I have some second generation that hatched out last month and they are very strong....100% hatch rate. They are beautiful too! I only hatched six though.

My silkie is the premier broody though. She won't let the roosters near her so there are no fertile silkie eggs. So, she's sitting on a hona, isbar, sussex and something else that is super pink...and her three month old chicks are trying to snuggle up with her...brats!

 

[Blulaced Damsel]

Has she been laying?  It takes them forever to lay an egg...like sometimes hours.  I don't know how Isbars are about being broody. KYTinpusher may weigh in on this. I have five female isbars and none of them have gone broody but they are young...and the only ones laying eggs well for me!

 You can stick some fertile eggs under her and try. I have some second generation that hatched out last month and they are very strong....100% hatch rate.  They are beautiful too!  I only hatched six though.

  My silkie is the premier broody though.  She won't let the roosters near her so there are no fertile silkie eggs. So, she's sitting on a hona, isbar, sussex and something else that is super pink...and her three month old chicks are trying to snuggle up with her...brats!  

 

[Blulaced Damsel]

It's hard to tell if she's been laying, there are 6 of them- but nott yesterday- there were no eggs in her nest. They are YOUNG too! She was born around April 1, just started laying in August.
She is still in the same box today though. At the end of the day yesterday I took her outside and brought her to the top of the hill where their water is- she made a new line back to the coop and jumped into the nest.
I'm quite sure she's broody....

 

[KYTinpusher]

It's hard to tell if she's been laying, there are 6 of them- but nott yesterday- there were no eggs in her nest. They are YOUNG too! She was born around April 1, just started laying in August.
She is still in the same box today though. At the end of the day yesterday I took her outside and brought her to the top of the hill where their water is- she made a new line back to the coop and jumped into the nest.
I'm quite sure she's broody....

Isbars are not supposed to go broody. They were bred to be a production breed, so those with a tendency to go broody would be removed from the breeding population. With that said, if you want to give her a try, I would only give her eggs that are not important to you as she may not stick with them for the whole 21 days. If you want to break her, just keep removing the eggs from the nest and putting her back outside. If she is not real serious about it, she will probably give up after a few days.