*Day 20 Update & Pic* A pen of 13 broody hens can cover how many eggs?

[RubberChickenLubber]

I had to hold the cuckoo, he didn't want to stand still, but here he is.

Here's momma with a few peeking out.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
Wow! That's quite a batch of chicks!

 

[pbjmaker]

How many are you up to today Dipsy? Wait - the chicks have probably taken over by now and you're not able to get any messages out.

 

[New adventure]

So, do you sell chicks? or eggs? or do you just have unlimited space and want to raise a chicken for everyone on BYC? All 35,000 of us thank you!

 

[Holly O]

Ohh I love the frizzles ....

 

[skeeter9]

That's quite a pile of chicks, Lisa!!! I love all the puffy little cheeks!!!

 

[dancingbear]

It never occurred to me to try a whole "room" broody nest. I a have a section of my coop I could do that with, too. I may have to build more areas, since mine don't go broody all at once. They overlap a lot, though, so I could set one group, set the next group, etc. Right now I have 8 broodies for sure, and 1 more thinking about it. I bet she goes in the next 24 hrs, too.

Do you put anything on the floor to soften it, like lots of rubber welcome mats or anything? Or just piles of straw or other bedding?

I have a nest box built like a bookshelf, sort of, with space for 2 hens per shelf. There are multiple hens, on multiple shelves, stealing eggs from each other. I have two sets of eggs, one set on one date, the others set about a week later. I just make sure all eggs on any one shelf have matching dates, and let them steal from each other all they want. I marked the first ones with black sharpie, and the second set with red, so I can tell at a glance which is which. Now I need another color sharpie for the next bunch.

I have 2 doz. in the bator, set at the same time as the first set of eggs. So I can get the hens to raise them for me.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! Sorry I missed updating --- ended up with 80-something chicks from that bunch of eggs (mostly Ameraucana, but a few super looking blue Silkie chicks, Serama, and NNF). They haven't taken over, but darn-near (I ran out of brooder space in the spare room and have a brooder in the bedroom, much to Hubby's dismay).

The hens did really well til the chicks started pipping then everyone wanted a pipping egg and jumped nests and squabbled, resulting in many squashed eggs.
All things considered, I'm not disappointed (well really, I am sad about every lost chick and will plan better next time).

Nothing on the coop floors but dirt (sand, we are a sand hill). I use shavings in nest boxes and when I put down those metal drawers to semi-seperate the hens, I filled them with shavings.

I haven't tried different colored Sharpies, I just write the set date BIG on the eggs so I can tell which is which.
I found even permanent markers aren't permanent on duck eggs. I have 2 broody ducks and have to remark the eggs every week so I can tell the developing eggs from the fresh eggs that get snuck in.
Thanks for the Cuckoo pic, Patti. Can't wait to see how he grows.

Lisa