Broody is FINALLY going to get her some eggs! HELP!

[countrycakelady]

I have FINALLY found someone with FERTILE eggs! My broody RSL is going to be a Mama if nothing happens! I have so many questions....

MAIN ONE: Do I need to leave her in the coop with her sisters to hatch? I have 14 grown girls and 8 more that are going to be introduced in about a month.....she is sitting in her box, and won't leave...I have given her a dish of food and water and she is happy as a clam.....she is 'sitting' on 2 golf balls, lol....so we are going to try this for the 1st time ever! I need all the help and advice I can get.....thanks!


UPDATE............... Unfortunately, I have discovered as of yeserday that our girl only has 3 eggs left....out of 8.....obviously someone or something has gotten to them...I am really upset at myself for not moving her from day 1.....I tried several times and she would not have it...she was going nuts...would not sit on the eggs, moved them from place to place.....very discouraged here....I have her still sitting on the 3, she doesn't seem to want to leave them AT ALL......not even to get up and eat, drink, nothing....very at all this. It is my first time of having a broody and our first time of eggs to hatch....sigh......

 

[bobbi-j]

A lot of people do this a lot of different ways. I separate my broody from the rest of the layers so the other hens don't get into the nest box, lay extra eggs or break the developing eggs. About a week after they hatch, I reintegrate them into the flock. This method has worked for me. You don't have to remove them from the rest of the flock, though. Many people leave them in with no problems. If you choose to leave her in with the flock, you will want to mark the eggs you want her to hatch to you can remove any extras that may show up. I would not leave food and water so close that she doesn't have to get up and eat and drink. That could encourage pooping in the nest, possibly ruining your eggs. Most broodies will get up once a day to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. They may stay off the nest for 5 minutes, 25 minutes, or anywhere in between. Some people feel the need to take the broodies off their nests daily. I do not do this. I have a pretty hands-off approach with my broodies. I make sure they have food, water, and a place to get up and stretch their legs. I may look under her from time to time to make sure there are no broken eggs under her. On the 21st day I will look under her to see if there are any chicks. If so, I leave them until morning, take her and the chicks out of the nest, put them on the floor and remove the unhatched eggs if they don't show any signs of beginning to hatch. I figure chickens have been hatching their own eggs without human "help" for centuries. They really don't need my help. Also, the more you mess with a broody, the more the possibility of her abandoning the nest. I'm not saying it would happen - just that it could.

Oh - one more thing - if you decide to move her to a different nest, it has always worked best for me to do it at night. I'd move her with the golf balls first to see if she'll stay put. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Last year I moved 5 broodies. Four of them stayed where I put them. One was very determined and wanted nothing to do with her lovely new accommodations. I let her stay where she wanted to be - among the general population. But if you move her with the golf balls and she stays, I'd go in the next night and replace the golf balls with the eggs.