CALIFORNIA The Whole State thread

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An update on my broody post: 3 days ago she committed to the eggs and the next day her buddy joined her in the box next to her. So now I have two broodies and a very loud hen house when my layers come in to lay their eggs! Finally after 2 loud days and the girls getting more and more determinded not to move (one wouldn't even leave the nest for treats and didn't touch the scratch I put in front of her...she's very serious about this job), the other girls are laying in the box furthest from the two.

My concerns are still that they're in the hen house and about 2 feet off the floor. As I mentioned in my previous post, the only other time I've had a hen hatch in the laying box the other chickens killed them but that was 20 years ago and I don't know for sure that's what happened. I'm afraid they'll abandon the nest if I move them. I could add a board as a barrier to give them privacy and keep the chicks from falling out but it's not enough room to lock the hens in, so one side would be room for them to get out. Anyone with experience or knowledge on this? I don't want to mess this up, I've been waiting for someone to go broody since I don't have an incubator anymore. Today I gave them each 4 of my Polish eggs and they accepted them in addition to the three I gave them yesterday so I have 11 Polish in there!
BigDaddysMom said:
I don't want to jinx this, but I think one of my girls is finally gone/going broody!

A few months ago my husband found a nest she was working on in some bushes on our property but he broke it up before I told him I wanted her to hatch them. Then she started a new spot in the barn but when I added the polish eggs she gave that one up.

Tonight I went to collect eggs and she was planted firmly on one of the batches of eggs in the laying boxes. She gave me dirty looks when I collected the eggs from either side of her and I'm praying she planning on being a mommy!

I've never had a broody set in the laying box. If she does, what are the issues with the other chickens? They have 6 boxes but she's right in the middle in the favorite box, although they use three. Wait, I take it back, I did have one hatch in the laying box, like 20 years ago, but the chicks were dead when I found them and I thought the other chickens killed them?????

What do you think? Oh, and if she does follow through with this, how do I sneak in my polish eggs without breaking her brood?
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Oh, sorry to hear about your hatches. Do you have another hydrometer in there other than the standard one? Might be that the hydrometer is off so you're actually running drier than you think.
I just got done candling the ameraucana eggs that I picked up from Karen last week (it was great meeting you btw, I rarely get to talk to chicken people, it was fun), I have 10 developing. Lock down is in a week so i can't wait, you'll get chick pics as soon as they're dry.
 
UncleTommy said:
Oh, sorry to hear about your hatches. Do you have another hydrometer in there other than the standard one? Might be that the hydrometer is off so you're actually running drier than you think.
I just got done candling the ameraucana eggs that I picked up from Karen last week (it was great meeting you btw, I rarely get to talk to chicken people, it was fun), I have 10 developing. Lock down is in a week so i can't wait, you'll get chick pics as soon as they're dry.
Click to expand...

Nice to meet you too Tom. If you could have stayed longer we could have walked through the pens & talked chicken more. I am so glad I sent extras so you have a chance of getting a good amount of chicks. I am never sure about fertility. I feed a good formulated seed grain with additives but the fertility is less than I would like, but to tell the truth I do not know how old my rooster is. Maybe he is past his prime. I get plenty of the eggs to hatch though so I haven't personally worried about it. I did however set a dozen really nice & dark Marans eggs from a friend that says his rooster is 4 years old & I got nothing. What a shame............. I was hatching them for a friend that won the eggs as a door prize at a BBQ. I haven't told her yet that none hatched but will offer any of my chicks she wants instead. She is new to chickens & was going to have to build a coop but,I think, was looking forward to it. It was going to be a new adventure for them......LOL
 
mycutekitties said:
Kim I am I sorry you are having so many issues! I have been there!
What's the deal with your sportsman? The last 4 hatches I have had in my sportsman I have gotten 100% hatches (all that make it into the hatching tray have hatched). There is a guy in Ceres (Rocha's feed) that can fix sportsmans.
Click to expand...

And Walt Leonard's partner fixes them too, I believe
 
thought i's share a pic of today's egg find. I think i'm more excited about the little blue one than the giant one, that one is from my sole wheaten ameraucana.


 
BigDaddysMom said:
An update on my broody post: 3 days ago she committed to the eggs and the next day her buddy joined her in the box next to her. So now I have two broodies and a very loud hen house when my layers come in to lay their eggs! ... Anyone with experience or knowledge on this? I don't want to mess this up,
Click to expand...

I wish that I had a foolproof answer for you. Last year, all my broodies with multiple hens on one clutch did not hatch. This year, I tried moving a broody and she quit on me.
Silkies are supposed to be the ultimate broody. Maybe you could put her in a Vari kennel or something like that for privacy.
Best wishes,
Kim
 

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