BYC Café

[pennyJo1960]

Good question there but bet know who Jimmy Buffet is they like our music from then call it oldies now

 

[Shadrach]

Good morning Cafe.
Coffee is made.
Storms have come and gone again. Clear blue skies atm.

 

[Shadrach]

So you're going to give her a small clutch of someone else's fertile eggs?

I don't know. I'm going to have to decide today.
In the past I have only let a hen sit on eggs that got laid at the nest site. Generally this means the majority are her eggs. I can tell with most of the hens here who laid which egg.
When I've limited the clutch size I've removed any eggs that don't belong to the sitting hen.
Fat Bird is a bit different. She's likely to be a high maintenance sit due to breakages which means nest strip out and trying to clean the worst off her underside. Silly though it may seem, I would like Fat Bird to do the mother bit before she dies. Given she's 9 now we probably don't have many more opportunities.
Then there is the change in risk status once and if she does hatch eggs. Under normal circumstances a hen will seek cover in the event of a threat. Fat Bird it would seem by her age is very predator aware. With chicks to defend she becomes a target.
There is also the fact that Ruffles who is in the same tribe has a chick and I try not to let the situation arise where there are two mums at the same time in the same tribe. It's bad enough when there are two mums from different tribes at the same time.
But yeah, I will probably give her a couple of eggs from one of her tribe and hope something hatches.
I've stuff that needs dealing with with the donkeys and sheep atm and although the work isn't difficult it does consume time and I'll be way over what I get paid for.
The annoying thing is, the balance with tribe one is working atm; it's tribe 2 that needs new chicks.

 

[Shadrach]

Well, sometimes decisions are made for you.
I saved her the indignity of being turned over to photograph.
Three broken eggs. Her under side already had two firmly stuck. There is no way she can turn or position the eggs when she is such a sticky mess. I would have to check her every hour and turn the eggs myself at this rate. She gets distressed when the eggs break and this makes her fidget even more and this in turn breaks more eggs.
At the current rate it would all be over in a few days.
I've unstuck the two eggs, one has a crack in it. Cleaned off the straw stuck to her belly and bum. Got the worst of the egg off her wings and she is now outside having a dust bath.
Sad thought it is, Fat Bird is just not meant to be a mum.

 

[N F C]

Morning Cafe!

Shad, poor Fat Bird, I feel a bit sorry for her. Seems like it's just not in the cards for her. Is she your oldest bird?

 

[Shadrach]

Cillin doing his best to be empathetic.

I will probably have to keep Fat Bird in the house and away from any other nest sites for a few days until she stops being broody.
None of the repercussions of Fat Bird going broody are good.

 

[Shadrach]

Morning Cafe!

Shad, poor Fat Bird, I feel a bit sorry for her. Seems like it's just not in the cards for her. Is she your oldest bird?

She is the eldest now. Blue Spot was a bit older when she died. The next one down, Gedit, is 7 years old and she will probably live to a ripe old age because she has never laid an egg.
I feel sorry for Fat Bird to. I've tried various nest styles. I've tried cleaning her and the nest until the eggs ran out. I've tried just leaving her to it. She just breaks the eggs.
Ruffles, her half sister does it as well but not with anything like the same frequency.

 

[igorsMistress]

G'morning cafe

 

[N F C]

G'morning cafe

Morning IM!

I tried to get fancy with everyone's coffee this morning, but I messed up

Guess I should wake up before trying anything cute

 

[Shadrach]

So, this is broody breaking (that's a horrible term) Shadrach style.
She'll sit next to me wherever I sit when I'm in the house until it's over. I put her on a perch with her tribe at night.

And this is just one of the consequences of having to shut the door and have the house nest box out of action.