Broody hen has abandoned fake eggs but still broody

[Sophielee]

Yes I did wonder whether she could perhaps tell they weren't real. I've only just bought them and they smell very rubbery

!! I popped a couple of real eggs under her yesterday and she's sitting on them nicely, she's also much happier now I've moved her into a pen on her own. It's gone dark out now so just about to go out take those eggs out and put the 6 fertile eggs in her nest. Really excited as my first time with hatching eggs, me and my daughter will be counting down the days..!
Thanks to all who have given me advice..

 

[chickbythebay]

I also put fertile eggs under my first time broody today! She was sitting on rocks and golfballs. I switched them during the day when she got off the nest to eat. I can't wait to see if they develope. I also put three in the incubator. Good luck.

 

[Sophielee]

Good luck with yours too! I wish I had more eggs but didn't want to overload her for her first time and I don't have an incubator. Think i will be investing in one very soon though!

 

[chickbythebay]

How did your hatch go?

 

[Sophielee]

4 out of 6 hatched and we managed to watch the last one come out. All 4 happy and healthy and mum is fantastic. I have to say, around the 21 day due date me and my daughter were a bundle of nerves!! They're a week old now. We never candled the eggs, decided to just leave to mother nature, although we did open the unhatched eggs at the end and they hadn't developed at all. After day 23 mum pushed them out of the nest so she must of known!
Amazing to watch her teaching the chicks and the little calls she makes to them!
How are yours? Have they hatched yet?? x

 

[LTygress]

Yeah they're not too smart when it comes to sitting on the right nest! I had one this morning leave the good eggs behind, and go sit on the golfballs beside her nest! But I moved her back, and took the golfballs out. I had been trying for more broody hens, but they aren't taking it. So I figured it was best to just empty the other nest completely, and put her back on her own. I moved the golfballs to an "outside" nest that the other hens sometimes use. Hopefully, they will continue to keep laying there and leave the two broody hens alone.

Thankfully, that hasn't happened with the other broody hen yet. She has been on the same nest since day 1. Although the moving broody has tried to kick the staying broody off of those eggs once or twice already. Thankfully, staying broody has... stayed.

 

[chickbythebay]

Two of mine hatched! We got to see the first one hatch as she had gotten off the nest to eat when it hatched! They are 8 and 9 days old now. They hatched a day apart. They are still with the rest of the flock and doing great.