Broody Hen Thread!

[aart]

May I have my white jacket now??

I think you need the special white jacket,
you know the kind with the really long sleeves that wrap around and buckle tight?


All my incubator chicks are going to a local farmette,
am bartering incubation for bacon.
I may do another incubation of BCM x CCL for OE from my coop,
and get hopefully get some CCL eggs or pullet chicks for future OE's.

Hoping the broody integrates quickly and well,
I need the space she's setting in for the next batch.
It's gonna be crowded out there this summer.

 

[WVduckchick]

I think you need the special white jacket,
you know the kind with the really long sleeves that wrap around and buckle tight?


All my incubator chicks are going to a local farmette,
am bartering incubation for bacon.
I may do another incubation of BCM x CCL for OE from my coop,
and get hopefully get some CCL eggs or pullet chicks for future OE's.

Hoping the broody integrates quickly and well,
I need the space she's setting in for the next batch.
It's gonna be crowded out there this summer.

Yep that's the right kind of jacket!

Bacon would be a wonderful trade!

I usually sell chicks I hatch, grow out the ones broodies hatch, keep some, sell some as started birds. Only a few of these incubator chicks are for my flock.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well, we will see if I get ANY chicks this weekend/Monday (due date).

Set eggs I *think* 3 weeks ago, but *might* have been 4 weeks...pretty sure 3 weeks (forgot to mark calendar...got busy).

So, on Friday, getting a bit nervous about my dates, I did something I don't normally do, I lifted the nest lid on the broody box during the daytime (she's got her own small coop) and unfortunately startled her on a wake cycle and she flew out into the yard. It took me a half hour to round her up. Actually, knowing she's a faithful broody, I waited until she resettled into the favorite nest in the main coop (her original spot).

I picked her up and replaced her on her broody nest with only slightly cooled eggs and breathed a sigh of relief.

That night to my horror I discovered the hen roosting on the small bar in the broody coop with an abandoned nest of stone cold eggs. What?!!

Then I realized my mistake....I found the *real* brooding hen back in the main coop, hunkered in the favorite nest box. It was her look alike daughter who had been flirting with brooding that had been lingering in the favorite nest box. (Did I mention they look identical?)

Oh dear....I'd gotten the wrong hen back into the broody box that morning. No idea how long the eggs were cold. It could have been most of the day....or just the early evening...but they were cold...and 8 of the 11 looked developed at the 2 1/2 week stage....which lead me to believe the later date was the correct date for hatch (tomorrow March 19).

Seriously, I need that white jacket....wrong dates, wrong hens.

Oh well daughter looks like she will go into a brood sooner than later, so I'll try again with the identical looking one when she's ready. Collecting eggs now. Somebody's going to brood....April/May is approaching....if I can just figure out who to put eggs under.

LofMc (or McofL....I get so easily confused)

 

[WVduckchick]

Well, we will see if I get ANY chicks this weekend/Monday (due date).

Set eggs I *think* 3 weeks ago, but *might* have been 4 weeks...pretty sure 3 weeks (forgot to mark calendar...got busy).

So, on Friday, getting a bit nervous about my dates, I did something I don't normally do, I lifted the nest lid on the broody box during the daytime (she's got her own small coop) and unfortunately startled her on a wake cycle and she flew out into the yard. It took me a half hour to round her up. Actually, knowing she's a faithful broody, I waited until she resettled into the favorite nest in the main coop (her original spot).

I picked her up and replaced her on her broody nest with only slightly cooled eggs and breathed a sigh of relief.

That night to my horror I discovered the hen roosting on the small bar in the broody coop with an abandoned nest of stone cold eggs. What?!!

Then I realized my mistake....I found the *real* brooding hen back in the main coop, hunkered in the favorite nest box. It was her look alike daughter who had been flirting with brooding that had been lingering in the favorite nest box. (Did I mention they look identical?)

Oh dear....I'd gotten the wrong hen back into the broody box that morning. No idea how long the eggs were cold. It could have been most of the day....or just the early evening...but they were cold...and 8 of the 11 looked developed at the 2 1/2 week stage....which lead me to believe the later date was the correct date for hatch (tomorrow March 19).

Seriously, I need that white jacket....wrong dates, wrong hens.

Oh well daughter looks like she will go into a brood sooner than later, so I'll try again with the identical looking one when she's ready. Collecting eggs now. Somebody's going to brood....April/May is approaching....if I can just figure out who to put eggs under.

LofMc (or McofL....I get so easily confused)

Oh dear! Silly lookalikes sure can be confusing, so don't beat yourself up too much.
Did you remove the eggs? I probably would have left them for another day, just to see if they started moving again.

Actually, I did do that. I had a broody with a helper a couple months ago. A few days before they were due, I blocked her into her coop. I thought I blocked her in. She got out, but then couldn't get back in. The eggs were cold. A couple did appear to move the next day, but eventually quit. I gave her 3 more eggs, figuring she wouldn't sit another 3 weeks, but she did and hatched those 3.

my apologies if I already told that story here

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes, I left the eggs. I've had miraculous hatches in the past, so we shall see.
I'm going to leave them until Wednesday as long as the *real* mom is happy working.

LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

Yes, I left the eggs. I've had miraculous hatches in the past, so we shall see.
I'm going to leave them until Wednesday as long as the *real* mom is happy working.

LofMc

I can understand how easy it is to mix up hens, and having multiple similar hens all in different broody moods makes it even more confusing. Our Silver Pencil Rocks still like brooding constantly and cobrooding has advantages but sure gets confusing when trying to figure out who is who.
I agree with leaving the eggs for a few more days, having also encountered delayed hatches after cooled nest incidents... I hope your broody gets at least a few hatched as reward for her efforts.

We had ours out today in the paddock with the flock, weather has been miserable here recently but today it was 40 and sunny. The hens had a fine time rolling around in the dusting pit and the chicks got to run around with the rest of the flock. Since the broodies are SPR and so are another 8 hens in that coop the chicks were begging food from all of the hens, lol...and the hens were cool with their antics. A couple of adventuresome chicks jumped up on hens' backs to hitch a ride, which resulted in some rather comical expressions on the non-broodie's faces, but these girls are so used to littles running around it was no big deal for them, and they were careful to not trample the little ones when they got underfoot .
I got some pics on my phone but have to look at them tomorrow to see if any turned out.
The other 5 broodies got out with their chicks also, but in a separate paddock area to avoid it being overwhelming with 7 hens and 23 chicks all roaming the same area on their first full day out and about. In another week it will be better weather and they will all be integrated enough to be out and about without restrictions. Then it will be fun, lol...though Mindy will be a worry wort about 'her babies' being out. Keeping track of 7 batches should keep her busy for a while!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I can understand how easy it is to mix up hens, and having multiple similar hens all in different broody moods makes it even more confusing. Our Silver Pencil Rocks still like brooding constantly and cobrooding has advantages but sure gets confusing when trying to figure out who is who.
I agree with leaving the eggs for a few more days, having also encountered delayed hatches after cooled nest incidents... I hope your broody gets at least a few hatched as reward for her efforts.

We had ours out today in the paddock with the flock, weather has been miserable here recently but today it was 40 and sunny. The hens had a fine time rolling around in the dusting pit and the chicks got to run around with the rest of the flock. Since the broodies are SPR and so are another 8 hens in that coop the chicks were begging food from all of the hens, lol...and the hens were cool with their antics. A couple of adventuresome chicks jumped up on hens' backs to hitch a ride, which resulted in some rather comical expressions on the non-broodie's faces, but these girls are so used to littles running around it was no big deal for them, and they were careful to not trample the little ones when they got underfoot .
I got some pics on my phone but have to look at them tomorrow to see if any turned out.
The other 5 broodies got out with their chicks also, but in a separate paddock area to avoid it being overwhelming with 7 hens and 23 chicks all roaming the same area on their first full day out and about. In another week it will be better weather and they will all be integrated enough to be out and about without restrictions. Then it will be fun, lol...though Mindy will be a worry wort about 'her babies' being out. Keeping track of 7 batches should keep her busy for a while!

Sounds like a lot of fun at your coop. Good to hear Mindy is still on the job
LofMc

 

[aart]

Only 4 of 7 eggs developing.
7 days to go.

All 4 hatched......3 boys and 1 girl.
While taking this pic, I saw a louse on her head
will have to rebed nest and dust them all. SMH.
Broody didn't have access to dust bath due to snow in her run,
should have dusted her at the start of setting.

 

[fisherlady]

All 4 hatched......3 boys and 1 girl.
While taking this pic, I saw a louse on her head
will have to rebed nest and dust them all. SMH.
Broody didn't have access to dust bath due to snow in her run,
should have dusted her at the start of setting.

View attachment 1302218

Adorable little one! It is so hard to stay ahead of the bugs during winter brooding. We have covered runs with dusting pits and it is still a never ending battle.

 

[aart]

I'm torn between using permethrin dust or spray.
Too much dust on mama, chicks will be breathing it.
But it's kinda chilly to be spraying.
Maybe spray mama and pinch of dust rubbed on chicks?
Any advice @fisherlady?