Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

ya i have easter eggers too but is an olive egger the same thing.

Olive Eggers are technically another 'mutt' like the Easter Eggers are... though an Olive Egger is actually a cross between a green egg layer and a brown egg layer, with the intended result being an egg that is a very dark green or an 'olive' green color, hence the name.

 

[Arkansas81]

ya i have easter eggers too but is an olive egger the same thing.

ive heard them called several things. to my understanding an ee (easter egger) is the run of the mill colored egg bird. now there is some called americanna-which have the puffy cheeks, rumpless. Auracana are the ones that don't have the puffy cheeks with stand up right tails. i think thats how it goes. i know that some lay all shades of blue, others all shades of green (which i have). i know some lay different shades of brown/tan almost pinkish colored.

i really want the ones that lay the different shades of blue, brown etc. i love my green eggs but would like some variety. my birds are beautiful especially when they were chicks, the eyes are amazing! looks like they have mascara on, very fluffy butts and cheeks-so cute!!

 

[roostersandhens]

thanks for helping to awnser my qeustion guys! i appreciatte it!

 

[popsicle]

Olive Eggers are technically another 'mutt' like the Easter Eggers are... though an Olive Egger is actually a cross between a green egg layer and a brown egg layer, with the intended result being an egg that is a very dark green or an 'olive' green color, hence the name.

A green-egg-layer is technically a brown egg layer. Eggs are either white or blue, with a brown outer coat or not. A blue-egg layer that also deposits the brown coat lays "green" eggs. A darker brown coat (from Marans, Barnvelder, Welsummer, etc) is what makes it an olive egg vs a green egg.

If you crack open a brown or white egg, the inside is white. If you blue or green egg, the inside is blue.

 

[roostersandhens]

If you are referring to the post at the start of this thread I believe it may have been from 2011? This is an ongoing thread, not a recently started one... and yes, the average hatch time is 21 days.

oh that would make way more sense!

 

[fisherlady]

A green-egg-layer is technically a brown egg layer. Eggs are either white or blue, with a brown outer coat or not. A blue-egg layer that also deposits the brown coat lays "green" eggs. A darker brown coat (from Marans, Barnvelder, Welsummer, etc) is what makes it an olive egg vs a green egg.

If you crack open a brown or white egg, the inside is white. If you blue or green egg, the inside is blue.

Thanks for the clarification... I hadn't researched the background of the egg colors very deeply at all, I did know of a number of folks crossing green eggers and brown ones hoping for the 'olive' eggers.

 

[Arkansas81]

where is it?? i'm soooooooooooooooooo sick of this messy/cold weather! i'm ready to start hatching some eggs! let me tell ya Alice is just itching to have some babies!!!!

 

[Drew Dizzle]

I heard that if you have baby chicks around them that will encourage them to go broody.

I also have a silkie and she is super broody

 

[Orpy]

i have 2 broody crossbred hens that steal eggs off one another...this is my first time hatching anything so i'm really inquisitive about what's going in in the coop...i've candled the eggs (8 out of 12 viable).... they are still in the main coop with my egg layers who push my broody girls off their eggs (i've tried moving them but they have no interest sitting back on the eggs), knowing what my egg layers are doing, i go check my broody girls clutch a few time during the day, i take away the big eggs that "shouldn't" be there and every once in a while find 1 of the bantam eggs have been pushed out the back and cold to the touch (i bought fertile bantam eggs, i don't own any bantams so the eggs my flock lays are larger and won't be mixed up).....my query is how long can the fertile eggs be "neglected" before the embryo dies?

 

[Arkansas81]

orpy-good question, ive been wondering the same thing too. ive finally gotten several orders for hatching eggs. i'm going to start collecting the eggs for sale, but my question is the broody hen doesn't sit on all the eggs. my eggs are in several different boxes, but she will usually sit on the middle nest box. plus with the temperature dropping.....

how long can the eggs sit in the cold before i collect?
if the broody has sat on them for a short bit can i still collect those? will they still be viable?
do i need to wipe the egg off if its dirty. they usually aren't unless its really wet outside...