Fake eggs

[Joe1962]

This one I think has not laid an egg in several days.

 

[rebrascora]

Apart from a plan for the surplus cockerels that can be relied upon to result..... was there an empty freezer listed in your previous post, it sounds like you are good to go. Only problem at this time of year can be getting good quality hatching eggs. Most mature breeding birds are slowing down production to moult and fertility may be dropping off.

 

[Joe1962]

I have room for birds in the freezer if needed. What she has is what she has. I am not giving her any more eggs. The girls like to lay in the same box. Can't say the others won't give her more eggs. These are all pullets. Not sure anything will come of this. But she seems determined shes going to do it.

 

[rebrascora]

If she is to set them in a communal nest box it is best to mark the eggs you give her or she starts with, with a line around the circumference in an indelible pen, so that you can see at a glance each day which ones have been added and remove them. Leaving them leads to a staggered hatch which causes problems and once the pile of eggs gets too large for the broody to keep them all warm enough to incubate, it jeopardises the ones that are developing because the eggs get rotates and some get cold and die. Far better to give her half a dozen eggs that you think might be fertile...ie from pullets that you have seen the cockerel/rooster mate and mark them and remove extras that are added to it by other hens on a daily basis.
Always a good idea to dust the nesting box that the broody is to use with mite powder before you set the eggs and a couple of times throughout the 21 day incubation period to keep mites at bay otherwise broodies can get overrun with the things using her as a 24/7 banqueting venue.

Good luck!

 

[Joe1962]

If she is to set them in a communal nest box it is best to mark the eggs you give her or she starts with, with a line around the circumference in an indelible pen, so that you can see at a glance each day which ones have been added and remove them. Leaving them leads to a staggered hatch which causes problems and once the pile of eggs gets too large for the broody to keep them all warm enough to incubate, it jeopardises the ones that are developing because the eggs get rotates and some get cold and die. Far better to give her half a dozen eggs that you think might be fertile...ie from pullets that you have seen the cockerel/rooster mate and mark them and remove extras that are added to it by other hens on a daily basis.
Always a good idea to dust the nesting box that the broody is to use with mite powder before you set the eggs and a couple of times throughout the 21 day incubation period to keep mites at bay otherwise broodies can get overrun with the things using her as a 24/7 banqueting venue.

Good luck!

I have not messed with her yet. I will check to see what she is setting on and mark the eggs.

 

[BlueBaby]

I don't think it would be wise to let her hatch in the fall would it? I would gladly let her hatch in the spring.

That depend's on what type of climate that you have for where you live at. I hatch in the fall over here in the desert. I am currently in the middle of a hatch right now, with 5 chicks out already, and waiting on the rest of them to hatch.

 

[Joe1962]

That depend's on what type of climate that you have for where you live at. I hatch in the fall over here in the desert. I am currently in the middle of a hatch right now, with 5 chicks out already, and waiting on the rest of them to hatch.

Midwest here.

 

[Joe1962]

I lifted her up today. She has 4 eggs. The others seem to be laying in other boxes.

 

[aart]

Midwest here.

Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[Joe1962]

Just updating the thread. I let the Pullet have 4 eggs. yesterday and today she hatched 3 then left the nest. All 3 look good.