Broody Olivia, Day 19 *UPDATE-HATCH! a Dilemma, sort of..

[speckledhen]

Aw, Gina, thanks for the thought! I'd take you up on that if we lived closer, I really would. Well, we've fired up the Fridge-a-Bator, so here I go again. But it's for my Zanester's baby. Never thought this would happen. It's a surprise a day for me, isn't it? At least this one is a good one.

Now, how do I do this? Olivia is still in a floor level nest in the main coop-she would not be moved when we tried back at the beginning of her broody spell. Do I wait for her lone chick to pip/hatch then move her to the broody pen and slip the two feedstore babies under her at night? I'm trying to figure when I do this. Normally, she'd be in the broody pen already, but she was frantic to get out and back to the nest she started on and was ignoring the eggs in the nest behind her, letting them cool off. She'd "imprinted" on the nest she went broody on and wasn't having any of that moving thing we tried so we left her in the coop and no one has bothered her, but it's different when there's a chick to think of.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Well, Since you asked...Of course let it finish!!!...

 

[wegotchickens]

Since you want it, I would trade for another 'dummy' egg when the fridgobator is ready. That way there won't be any chance of missing the hatch and the Zaner egg getting too cool.

 

[HenHaven]

Hey Cyn! That's fantastic news!

Now we will both have a lone egg in the bator! Belle's egg is on Day 5 and it has veins too.

As far as Olivia goes, could you just rig a chicken wire barrier for her for the first day or so, and just leave her where she is? Once she has had one day with the chick, I bet you could move her at night and slip in the other 2 then.

 

[speckledhen]

Actually, that thought did cross my mind about the barrier. Must be a good one since you had it, too! My only concern is that she couldn't leave the nest to poop. Should we leave her alone from now till hatch? It's been so long since I had a broody, I forgot what we did! We sure could switch Charlotte's egg now with another dummy till I slip in the "hatchlings", though.
Lynn, good luck with Belle's egg!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What great news! I would switch Zane's egg with another dumby when the bator is ready and then you know you have it covered when the other one hatches.

Good luck with both eggs and the chicks your slipping under Olivia!

 

[HenHaven]

I was thinking of a barrier that would be easy to remove to let her out a few times a day--or can you give her a little room in front of the nestbox for food and a poopy area? IDK--I'm flyin' by the seat of my pants here! ...as I tend to do!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, Lynn, the seat-of-your-pants is better than most people's long-term plans, LOL. I'll see what Tom thinks we can do. The Charlotte/Zane egg is in the Fridge-a-Bator and Miranda's egg from today is under Livvie to take its place till hatch time. Now, I'm back to hand turning one egg for the next 11 days or so.

 

[annrich]

and good luck with your decision

 

[tiffanyh]

WHy are you asking us?

You know the answer........