Colorado

[Ashdoes]

My Cream Legbar broody is a moron. They just aren't meant to be maternal, and she is messing up multiple times a day. We moved her to the broody crate, and the next morning she was off the eggs just standing there. So I let her out, and two hours later she's back in the nest boxes making mean noises at me. So, I give her back the eggs...only to do the same thing the next day. We have her back in the crate with eggs, because when we came home last night, she was in the wrong dang box. Told hubby I'm going to unbroody her if she's not on the eggs today. It's just not worth the frustrations.

 

[suncatcher]

I think part of the problem of them changing nest boxes is they are not high in the pecking order, that has been my observation. Those lower down, get moved off when one more dominant wants that nest box to lay her egg in. I have an area separated inside the coop, and that is where the broody's go, works best for me. Also, is big enough that once they hatch, they can hang out in there for a few days by themselves.

 

[Ashdoes]

Yeah, she's just a goob. The number of eggs hasn't changed, just her. And in our flock right now, the Creams are the top, much to our disliking.
I just went out and she broke and ate one of the eggs, and I let her out of the crate...came back after mowing and she was up in a nest box on fake eggs. I've put her back in the crate, all feathered up and angry. If she would just be normal, we would move her to the middle stall, on her own, which is what we did last year. I have a feeling these eggs are bust, and I'm just going to have to start chucking her into the run, to unbroody her. What a waste.

 

[trsturself]

It's that time of year. I have a group of 3 Silkies in one pen sitting on nothing but one another, and in another I have a Silkie hen on some Ameraucana eggs. Trying to get the group of 3 to quit. If they're still at it this weekend I'll boot them all out to a run for the day and see if that helps. It's my understanding giving them chicks or cooling their bellies are the two things that will break them, and this particular group of 3 I don't think will raise chicks. I let them hatch eggs over the winter and they wouldn't bring the chicks off the nest. By the time I knew some had hatched 2 had died. They can incubate, but that's it, and I'd just as soon have them laying.

Welcome gretabee!
Congrats on your hatch Margie. I have Wendell's egg that are supposed to hatch Friday. My broody is super nice, she lets me look at the eggs and pet her and lift her off the nest to move her to food and water when I worry that she isn't eating. I hope she continues to be nice if any eggs hatch.
If none do I'll be looking for day old chicks!

Oh boy, chicken math....I swore I wouldn't get more than 12 when I started 3 years ago. I have 28 and nine eggs under a broody right now.
I have had lots of birds try to go broody and I just put them in a wire dog kennel in a covered run area attached to the coop. I give them food and water and a pole to roost on. I leave them for 3 days. They have no where to nest they can only roost or eat or drink. It has broken every broody I have tried this with and they don't try to brood again. At least not yet.

I have heard of a wire dog kennel more than once. And 3 days is the magic number.

Yeah, she's just a goob. The number of eggs hasn't changed, just her. And in our flock right now, the Creams are the top, much to our disliking.
I just went out and she broke and ate one of the eggs, and I let her out of the crate...came back after mowing and she was up in a nest box on fake eggs. I've put her back in the crate, all feathered up and angry. If she would just be normal, we would move her to the middle stall, on her own, which is what we did last year. I have a feeling these eggs are bust, and I'm just going to have to start chucking her into the run, to unbroody her. What a waste.

That sucks. That's very similar to what happened with our broody. She would get kicked out of her box though. She would sit on the eggs in the next one while the other chicken was laying in her box. We tried moving her and she wouldn't have anything to do with the eggs there and kept going back to the nest box. We gave her back her eggs and she sat on them religiously as long as someone didn't come kick her out. She is the bottom of the big girl flock so she never put up a fight. None of those eggs hatched but I think it was more because of them getting broken and sitting in egg for the day.

 

[Ashdoes]

At least these eggs weren't going to hatch anyways, so it's not a huge loss. They just happened to be the most recently collected since we started the incubators recent hatch.
I had thought I would keep the Cream girls, and breed more cochin crosses when I wanted layers...but they're just not my favorite birds right now. Besides foraging really well, they're kinda dumb, pretty, but dumb.

Anyone know much about Brahmas? And any personality differences from Cochins? Those are the two breeds we're looking at. Do brahmas forage really well? Or are they kind of lazy, like Cochins?

 

[khloe205]

Anyone want a rooster?

We have a rooster who is a New Hampshire red hes very beautiful green / blue / black tail very pretty he is aggressive, but not to hens, he loves watermelon. Cost ~ free to a good home (meaning no eating him)

Please give us a call if your interested at (719) 440-0606 or (719) 201-6740
Cari ^ Kenny ^

or if you have any questions / comments type

 

[khloe205]

Anyone want a rooster?

We have a rooster who is a New Hampshire red hes very beautiful green / blue / black tail very pretty he is aggressive, but not to hens, he loves watermelon. Cost ~ free to a good home (meaning no eating him)

Please give us a call if your interested at (719) 440-0606 or (719) 201-6740
Cari ^ Kenny ^

or if you have any questions / comments type

 

[trsturself]

At least these eggs weren't going to hatch anyways, so it's not a huge loss. They just happened to be the most recently collected since we started the incubators recent hatch.
I had thought I would keep the Cream girls, and breed more cochin crosses when I wanted layers...but they're just not my favorite birds right now. Besides foraging really well, they're kinda dumb, pretty, but dumb.

Anyone know much about Brahmas? And any personality differences from Cochins? Those are the two breeds we're looking at. Do brahmas forage really well? Or are they kind of lazy, like Cochins?

I want a brahma. I heard they are very docile but I've never heard they are lazy. My cochin isn't lazy but her eyesight is a little off so she hits everything an inch to the side of where the food is. So unless there's a lot of what she's going for she misses, so she's not the best at free ranging except for the grass. lol

 

[Ashdoes]

I want a brahma. I heard they are very docile but I've never heard they are lazy. My cochin isn't lazy but her eyesight is a little off so she hits everything an inch to the side of where the food is. So unless there's a lot of what she's going for she misses, so she's not the best at free ranging except for the grass. lol

When our flock was mainly Cochins, they stayed in the barn most of the day. Now with the Creams, the Cochin girls heft their butts out all over the place. If I could get a Cochin Roo brooded by a Cream hen, I'd be set

 

[gardendufus]

So my one remaining broody is sitting on 11 eggs. Looking for hatch to start Monday, maybe Tuesday as the first day I gave her eggs she was a little unsettled from being moved, and the other broody was with her and causing quite a disturbance. I havent candled cuz I don't know how or even what to look for. Gonna just let nature do her thing....or not.

Watched her for awhile today. she's real calm with me, but gets all testy if any of the other chickens come near her nest, puffs up and starts scolding them. She has been glued to the nest for at least a week, not even coming out for treats which she did the first week. Because I haven't wanted to disturb her, I'm not even sure what eggs she's on. I had 11 more out for my other broody, so they were split pretty evenly between Wendell, Ashley and Steve, but one broody went psych and a lot of HER eggs got broken so I lost track of who had what.

Gonna be a hatching surprise at my place. With my luck all the broken eggs were pullets and my BA is now sitting on the 50% cockrels.