Broody Hen On Day 13

[Tiramisu]

Our first broody is on her 13th day of sitting!! She is a Mille Fluer Cochin, and we think she is sitting on Sicilian Buttercup bantam eggs, 4 of them. We will see if they are pure once hatched. I'm hoping she hatches at least 2, 4 would be great though!

 

[JimnTer]

I have a broody red sex link that is on day 12, sitting on 8 mixed breed standard size chicken eggs. I also have a Rouen duck that is on day 22 sitting on at least 13 duck eggs. Duck eggs take 28 days, so I have one due to hatch just before yours and one due right after. I have my fingers crossed for both of us.

 

[Tiramisu]

I think my eggs are on day 17 now. I don't know exactly when she sat on them, so 16/17.
She was getting off of them yesterday and I kept having to put her back on. I gave her her own water, yet she feels like she needs to get a drink with everyone else. I have to move her to the breeding pen so when they hatch the other birds won't bother them. Hope it goes well, first time with a broody and chicks.

 

[JimnTer]

I would leave her where she is till the eggs hatch if at all possible, then move her and the chicks. I have had good luck with this method.

My duck should be hatching hers this weekend if all goes well. This will be her first hatch, but I have already hatched a few of her eggs under a broody chicken.

 

[JimnTer]

My ducks were acting a bit funny this morning when I went down to the barn to feed. I noticed a broken egg shell beside the nest, then a little head appeared from under the duck. I moved her off the nest to have a look and all the eggs have hatched except one. The last one has pipped though and will probably be out shortly.

Your turn now Tiramisu!

EDIT: I got brave and counted the ducklings. She has 15. I only got bit 3 or 4 times. Found out my chickens bite harder than the duck.

 

[Tiramisu]

Lol! I have been bit by my goose..he was banished to living with the turkeys after that and is now outside in the crick. He made a mess of the turkey pen.
I have been bitten by my roo's too. Got a blood blister the first time and the second it bled a bit.


Miss broody hen is on day 19, chicks should hatch monday..not tomorrow.

 

[JimnTer]

The duck bites are really painless. I have been bitten by a gander before and that really does hurt.

I just found out we have yet another broody (sort of). The dogs were making a racket outside earlier and my wife went out to check on them. She came back in and said "your dogs have something treed in the flowering crabapple". Now they are normally "our" dogs but when they do something like this, they are suddenly "my" dogs. Anyway, upon checking out the crabapple I found this.I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but its a mourning dove.

 

[JimnTer]

Any luck Tiramisu? My chicken is supposed to be due tommorow, but she has started early and has hatched out 3 so far. She is a first time broody though and she managed to step on the first one and kill it. The other 2 are doing well so far.

 

[Tiramisu]

Sorry, I've been busy. Out of 4 eggs, she hatched 3. The first one pipped and died in the shell, 2 hatched monday, and the 3rd hatched on Tuesday..I had to help it hatch. I cracked it a bit Monday night, and it didn't do anything all day, so I chipped it a bit, waited a few hours and then I just peeled the shell away. I think the eggs may have been a bit too small since most of the hens have only been laying for a bit. I have some pics and video, might try to put them up here later. She is doing very well with her 3 chicks, though. I put her in a breeding pen away from the others because I don't trust they would peck at them, I think she would try to defend them though, she doesn't need more stress though.