Day 23 under broody and we have a zip!

[SoCal-chick]

We were beginning to think the eggs we had shipped got damaged. When the box arrived it had a dent in one side as though it had been drop kicked. But this morning my daughter felt under momma and there was a zip. By the time I got home from taking her to school there was a black and yellow 'fuzzy butt' peering out from momma hen. I gently pulled out the shell of 2 eggs, so I know there is at least one more baby under her feathers. We gave our Black Australorp hen, Iris, 8 Blue/Black Ameraucana eggs from BYC member 'Seabright mom'. I am so anxious, not know what is going on under her!

 

[Homesteading_Bound]

How Exciting.....

Congrats.....

 

[hollyk]

How awesome!

Where do you put your broody hen? I tried giving a broody Wyandotte a nest with eggs in a safe brooder box (very large one my husband built). She did not like and quit setting. So, she has gone broody twice since Feb. so I know it will happen again. Our eggs are fertile and I would like to have her hatch some. So how did you go about it?

 

[SoCal-chick]

Just went out to check on Iris and babies, one chick literally jumped into my hand as I opened the back of the nest box and 2 others peeked out from under momma. So far 3 out of 8 hatched. this is Iris's second time broody. Last Summer I put 3 eggs under her, all three developed but only 2 made it out alive. At that time we moved her and her eggs to a rabbit hutch in the pen, separated from the other hens by chicken wire. This time when we tried to move her and the eggs, she acted like they were not hers and wouldn't sit on them till we moved her back to the nest box in the main coop. So just before the hatch date, we kicked all the other girls out of the coop into the pen where they have plenty of shelter and the nights are only down into the 60's. As soon as Iris is done hatching we will move her and her babies to the place I had prepared for them. The little inconvenience for the other girls is well worth it to make Iris and her babies happy,