She is one of those hatched the first week in August last year. She laid one egg...maybe two...and was sitting on it/them. So I took the other eggs laid that day by her sisters and mother and put them under her. They are all Old English. That was the day before yesterday. This morning I checked and she is hatching six. I got concerned as when I took her off to see how many there were, she got off the nest...but she just went outside the coop to eat and drink and whatever. I stood over her supervising and chasing off the little Jap rooster who figured he had a chance for romance with her as the head OE rooster was off in the yard some place with the other hens. She ate...a LOT...and drank, and went back in the coop and got on the nest again. So it looks like I'll have babies sometime around 3/18.
I have a vacant rooster jail in the coop and when it is warm enough (for me to work out there) I'll make her a nesting area in there with food and water and a nesting box. I heat the coop at night any night it goes below freezing. By the time the babies hatch and grow a little it may be warm enough to move them all outside to an A frame pen. I'm finding it very satisfying to have chicks from hens that were also chicks hatched from my first OE pair.
Terry in Tennessee
I have a vacant rooster jail in the coop and when it is warm enough (for me to work out there) I'll make her a nesting area in there with food and water and a nesting box. I heat the coop at night any night it goes below freezing. By the time the babies hatch and grow a little it may be warm enough to move them all outside to an A frame pen. I'm finding it very satisfying to have chicks from hens that were also chicks hatched from my first OE pair.
Terry in Tennessee
