First broody!

[MJWarner]

Mary, my lavender orpington, decided yesterday to become a mom. Has not left the nesting box since at least yesterday morning, and is still there this morning. I usually collect between 8 and 10 eggs every evening from my 10 girls, and I only got 4 from the other boxes yesterday, so I figure she probably has 4-5 eggs under her now. I hesitate to disturb her too much, so she will commit for the long haul. I have eggs from the last 2 days, and would like to cram some of them under her to best utilize her as a broody and protective chick raising mom hen. From y'all who have done this before, can Ido this in the daytime, or should I wait until late night, then sneak them in? Mary is 6 1/2 months old, and this is both of our first hatching rodeo, it would be good if we are on the same page with this. I do realize it takes a few days before I can be certain of 100% commitment on her part, but I would like to place the extra eggs so that the hatch day is synced.

 

[Raccoon lady]

My lavender Orpington just went broody too. I placed eggs under her in the daytime. Pretty much, she wants as many eggs as possible. She probably won't mind.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Daytime will be fine. Make sure to mark them so you can remove the new ones throughout the brood period.

I take my broody hens off the nest once a day if they have an empty crop at afternoon chore time so I can make sure they eat something. It’s also a chance for me to check their eggs and candle them if I want to.

Good luck with your hatch!

 

[MJWarner]

Well, Mary left the nest to eat and gave me a chance to mark the eggs she had, mark and add the eggs from the last 2 days and this morning's, and she now has 13 eggs to incubate. I will feel a lot less stressed once I get this first hatching completed, I know in my head that nature is successful, or there would be no wild street chickens all over rural Florida, but I am still anxious to prove the self sustainability for my flock and needs, even if my doubts are silly and unfounded. (...and I'm usually so logical...)

 

[RubelliteRose]

Congratulations! We just had our first and second broody hatch out eggs. The first almost 3 weeks ago and the second almost a week ago. It was exciting and nerve wracking
Hope your hatch goes well and make sure to post pictures of your new chicks

 

[MJWarner]

Congratulations! We just had our first and second broody hatch out eggs. The first almost 3 weeks ago and the second almost a week ago. It was exciting and nerve wracking
Hope your hatch goes well and make sure to post pictures of your new chicks

Oh, I will! She's in a top box, plenty deep and large, and my plans are to leave her there until the first 24 hours after hatch day is past. Then I will crate her on the floor of the coop, with water and crumble inside, by moving her chicks first, then Mary.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Well, Mary left the nest to eat and gave me a chance to mark the eggs she had, mark and add the eggs from the last 2 days and this morning's, and she now has 13 eggs to incubate. I will feel a lot less stressed once I get this first hatching completed, I know in my head that nature is successful, or there would be no wild street chickens all over rural Florida, but I am still anxious to prove the self sustainability for my flock and needs, even if my doubts are silly and unfounded. (...and I'm usually so logical...)

So how many days of incubating did her first eggs have before you added more? I worry you have created a problem. Most of my hens will sit for one day after the first chicks have hatched and then they are off the nest. Thirteen eggs is also a lot for a first time hen.

If you can identify the original or added eggs I would reduce down to 8 eggs or less and reduce the hatching time frame.

If you can’t figure out which ones are from which day, you can start over with new eggs today.

 

[MJWarner]

I found her sitting on day one. On day 2, when she was still sitting by afternoon, I added 13 eggs from the kitchen counter, which had been laid within the last 3 days, with somee from collection on day 2. (13 total) But... I removed the eggs she had initially had under her the first and second day, because I didn't want those as chicks. Basically, I have a cream legbar rooster, and I wanted eggs from my blue/splash americana, my blue copper marans, my Easter egger, my olive egger, and whomever is laying the grey eggs, and the pink eggs. (Coop Camera dreams) For 3 days of collection, that ended up being 13, and since I don't expect 100% hatch, and since she's such a large, fluffy girl, I rolled the dice and went all in.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I found her sitting on day one. On day 2, when she was still sitting by afternoon, I added 13 eggs from the kitchen counter, which had been laid within the last 3 days, with somee from collection on day 2. (13 total) But... I removed the eggs she had initially had under her the first and second day, because I didn't want those as chicks. Basically, I have a cream legbar rooster, and I wanted eggs from my blue/splash americana, my blue copper marans, my Easter egger, my olive egger, and whomever is laying the grey eggs, and the pink eggs. (Coop Camera dreams) For 3 days of collection, that ended up being 13, and since I don't expect 100% hatch, and since she's such a large, fluffy girl, I rolled the dice and went all in.

Keep an eye on broody, mine didn't get up at all. I had to physically remove her from the nest and feed her and then show her the water so she could drink. I started doing that after the first three days of broodiness.

 

[MJWarner]

Keep an eye on broody, mine didn't get up at all. I had to physically remove her from the nest and feed her and then show her the water so she could drink. I started doing that after the first three days of broodiness.

Thanks, she has been leaving once a day, for about an hour and a half, to eat, drink walk around and dust bathe. I thought maybe it should be more. This morning, I tried to entice her on the nest with a few meal worms, since she has been missing morning treat time, no interest. That worried me a bit, so I will watch more carefully to make sure she is getting enough off nest time.