Giving a broody fertile eggs

[NorthernMIFlock]

Wow, that’s a lot of eggs for her! Will you give them all to her? We have a Maran and the eggs are definitely a deep chocolate brown. Ours is a mystic maran tho, so maybe that makes the difference?

 

[Jrobb78]

Wow, that’s a lot of eggs for her! Will you give them all to her? We have a Maran and the eggs are definitely a deep chocolate brown. Ours is a mystic maran tho, so maybe that makes the difference?

Well I had only thought to give her the 12 that I ordered, but they sent extra and none broke so I guess I will. I saw one person’s post that had a BO sitting on 24! I don’t know how big they are as I don’t have BOs, but Scarlett is a rather large EE so I think she might be ok. I’d welcome input, though!

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

If she’s a standard sized hen, should be OK but I would watch to make sure she can cover them all. i only gave my buff orp 3 this time and am incubating the rest due to her choosing a popular laying nest for her flock mates . The other 2 times she hatched chicks, she chose a nest the others never used. I think what is good this time around tho is she’s getting off the nest to let another hen lay her egg, she’s also eating and drinking more. She was in pretty rough shape last summer because she almost never left her nest .

 

[Jrobb78]

If she’s a standard sized hen, should be OK but I would watch to make sure she can cover them all. i only gave my buff orp 3 this time and am incubating the rest due to her choosing a popular laying nest for her flock mates . The other 2 times she hatched chicks, she chose a nest the others never used. I think what is good this time around tho is she’s getting off the nest to let another hen lay her egg, she’s also eating and drinking more. She was in pretty rough shape last summer because she almost never left her nest .

Well she has accepted them and seems to cover them all just fine! Fingers crossed!

 

[Jrobb78]

If she’s a standard sized hen, should be OK but I would watch to make sure she can cover them all. i only gave my buff orp 3 this time and am incubating the rest due to her choosing a popular laying nest for her flock mates . The other 2 times she hatched chicks, she chose a nest the others never used. I think what is good this time around tho is she’s getting off the nest to let another hen lay her egg, she’s also eating and drinking more. She was in pretty rough shape last summer because she almost never left her nest .

I barely ever see Scarlett leave the nest. Last year we tried to break her for like 2 months and she just wouldn’t give up! That’s why I decided to let her try hatching this year, and after losing all but 3 of my flock I was seriously praying she’d go broody again. Thank goodness I didn’t lose her!!!

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

Yay! Rooting for your Scarlett, keep us posted

 

[Finnie]

Cover any bigger holes or openings with chicken wire before babies come.

Chicken wire holes aren’t small enough to protect chicks from other hens. I’ve had hens pull day-old chicks out through chicken wire and kill them as though they had found a mouse or frog. I had to cover the chicken wire with cardboard. (Was really mad at myself for this oversight. Lost 3 chicks.)

They showed very dark eggs in the picture.

That’s a shame they used photos that didn’t reflect what they were selling you. I have had Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper and Splash. The blue coppers laid lighter than the black coppers, and the splash laid even lighter. But also, each hen will start out her laying cycle with her darkest eggs, and they will lighten up as the season progresses. So it’s very possible the ad photo was taken early on, and now the same hen(s) are just laying lighter eggs. So maybe the pullets that hatch will start out very dark too.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Chicken wire holes aren’t small enough to protect chicks from other hens. I’ve had hens pull day-old chicks out through chicken wire and kill them as though they had found a mouse or frog. I had to cover the chicken wire with cardboard. (Was really mad at myself for this oversight. Lost 3 chicks.)

I meant to add chicken wire to cover the wire door, etc so babies can't slip out, snakes slip in, etc. Wire plus bars will probably be fine.

 

[lifein1840]

Last year our flock was decimated by a fox. I have a broody easter egger and am planning to order fertile eggs for her to hatch. We are newer to chickens and I have no experience, so I’m looking for insight and advice! We only have 3 girls left of our 8, should I expect any problems from the other 2? One is a RIR, the other is a silver laced Wyandotte. I have read that the hen will do all the work, is there anything I should do?

Try to find local eggs if you can...less problems with shipping, the eggs settle better and it's a great way to support 4-H kids. Do you have a broody area set up? It's better to have a separate nest on the floor and broody area for the hen and chicks. Make sure the flock can all see each other but the other hens can't get in the broody's nest or area. It's usually very easy to integrate the flock once your broody hen is ready to take the chicks in with the others, usually about 4 or 5 weeks old.

 

[lifein1840]

Do you just feed the entire flock chick starter, or do the chicks eat the layer f

I meant to add chicken wire to cover the wire door, etc so babies can't slip out, snakes slip in, etc. Wire plus bars will probably be fine.

chicks will slip out of chicken wire....use 1/4" or 1/2 inch welded wire around the bottom 10" of the runs and doors.