Cochin Thread!!!

[chick-among-us]

I love it when they scoop eggs under them...has she started plucking feathers from under herself yet?you will see feathers in the nest box. Where are you gonna move her? She will need to be somewhere away from the other hens or they will literally get on top of her and lay their eggs so she will incubate theirs too. This can break eggs at various stages of development. You marked those eggs I hope? So you can tell the difference in those eggs versus new laid ones? Also babies will fall out of that nest box....I wood let her brood her eggs and early chicks in a tote or something's can cover with wire or anything handy...I have used a tote when I didn't want to remove a hen from a flock. Need to be covered with something open for air flow but sturdy if chickens try to get on it.( they get on everything.)

 

[kabhyper1]

I love it when they scoop eggs under them...has she started plucking feathers from under herself yet?you will see feathers in the nest box. Where are you gonna move her? She will need to be somewhere away from the other hens or they will literally get on top of her and lay their eggs so she will incubate theirs too. This can break eggs at various stages of development. You marked those eggs I hope? So you can tell the difference in those eggs versus new laid ones? Also babies will fall out of that nest box....I wood let her brood her eggs and early chicks in a tote or something's can cover with wire or anything handy...I have used a tote when I didn't want to remove a hen from a flock. Need to be covered with something open for air flow but sturdy if chickens try to get on it.( they get on everything.)

There are a few feathers in the box. I took her out for a bit and put her with the flock. She sat on the floor laike a child throwing a tantrum. It was pretty funny. My coop isn't very big, so I guess I will have to put her in the tractor in the barn. I just didn't want problems putting her back with the flock when the time came, or for her to get lonely. I marked the eggs. 3 silkie, 1 australorp and an ee egg. The silkie ones I gave her are over a week old so they may not hatch. The rest are going into the incubator. I gathered the rest of the eggs from the flock as I usually do and brought them into the house. So that proves shes broody then huh? lol

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

A picture of some of my oldest Columbians hatched this year. Like the Buff Columbian better than Columbians this year.



Craig

 

[Jharper]

I know some won't agree with my decision to let her try, but she is leaving the nest to eat and drink and poo and scratch, and I am home all day everyday, so I can watch her closely. ....

Looks to big for the nest! LOL!

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
re: lonely, a broody doesn't WANT company usually... she wants to be left alone with her eggs.

 

[kabhyper1]

I moved her, she is now using the bottom half of a dog kennel for a nesting box. She was a little large for the laying box. This is her home for at least tonight until I figure out where or if to move her.

 

[chick-among-us]

That seems fine. Long as other hens don't like the cozy cave you made and join her to lay...again broken eggs yuck

 

[kabhyper1]

That seems fine. Long as other hens don't like the cozy cave you made and join her to lay...again broken eggs yuck

For sure. That's going to be my decision maker tomorrow. She throwing some pretty dirty looks though. If I were them I would use the other available nesting boxes.

 

[moomoodiddy]

alot of my new layers seem to go broody right before or after they start laying i guess its a hormonal thing... i say let em do it they wojld do it in the wild

 

[AndyCap]

Hey all, thought I would post some pics showing some down colour variation, all of these chick are from the same partridge pair

This one was born last year, and displays typical partridge down


Here is one that hatched yesterday. The down is a lot lighter and there are no classic chipmunk markings.


Another one that hatched yesterday, much darker then the one above.


And the two together.






I must admit the variation does surprise me quite a bit. I am looking forward to figuring out what is responsible for such variation in chick down from 1 pair.