First time with a broody and eggs! Hatch with me! I need advice!

[Skywalker9]

Here is a picture of the latest-

 

[ItsAZOO32]

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Sooo cute!! I hope that other one hatches for you!

 

[melloladies]

Ahhh!!! I'm so jealous!!! I want peepers! (patience Jennifer, patience. I keep telling myself)
They are so cute!!! Day 21 is Saturday, so hopefully soon, I'll have a similar view

Has your other egg hatched yet?

 

[Sudsy Chick]

thanks so much for this thread - I've learned a lot! we are fairly new to chickens and have our first broody hen and been wondering what to do.

 

[melloladies]

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You're welcome! and

It's always good to know you aren't alone. I was just thinking about a time only about 3 months ago when one of my girls (the very same who is "expecting" now) went broody for the first time- I was literaly SCARED of her!! I was a big stress ball for about a week. Gave myself breakouts and everything, and I refused to deal with her until my husband came home...so I could make hime do it

How silly I was

Now I've managed 3 broodies at once, and I'm expecting chicks. You never know, ya know?!
Now the big blue one...(Ina) I'm STILL scared of her!

 

[Maggizzle35]

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That is just beautiful. I think there is nothing so beautiful as a hen with chicks.

 

[stonykill]

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Wednesday is day 21 for Mama S, but my experience hatching Sumatra's incubated or Broody is it starts on day 19. So it might start on monday again for me!

 

[stonykill]

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That is just beautiful. I think there is nothing so beautiful as a hen with chicks.

thanks! and I agree. There have been so many moments this week I wished the camera was ready and on me. She has been out teaching them the ways of the chicken world.

 

[7&8]

Yes - thank you so much for this thread!

I brought "Beautiful," a LF Barred Rock, home Sunday. She was fluffed up and cluck, cluck, clucking. I've seen broody before, but thought this might be her way of dealing with her new circumstances. The only place she was safe from

Ansel, the LF Barred Rock cockerel, was in the nest box. So, when she took to it and stayed there, I thought she was just smart and hiding out. She did get out of the nest, but hung around in the coop growling and plumping her feathers at the others. Monday, while I was away during the day, she moved into the nest box in another coop where she was by herself, and where she stayed.

Hmmm, broody??? I phoned the man I got her from, and he said would collect some fertile eggs from his birds, Bantam and LF Rocks, and we could "load her up." Meanwhile, she sat on one of her own eggs. Tuesday morning, he came as promised with twelve eggs, and she's been faithfully sitting since. When she was off the nest late Tuesday afternoon, I cut a piece of sod and placed it on the floor of the nest box; he had suggested I do this to maintain humidity and cushion the eggs a bit. I placed a couple of inches of pine shavings on top of the grass side down sod, and then replaced the eggs in the nest.

I was - and could say still am - unsure whether she will go the distance. I guess that little anxiety never goes away. I don't have a back up, i.e., incubator.

Reading this thread, the posts from both those with experience in the natural hatching process and those who are wondering about the whole thing, is very helpful!

So, thank you all very much!!! Here's hoping!

 

[melloladies]

THERE'S A PIP!!! there's a pip in my eggs 'bator buddies!!!
Did I mention that there are 21 eggs set the same day as mine in an incubator at my friends house? I'm thinking of them as my "window to under the mother"

And she has a pip! And cheeping!!!