Got a broody girlie😀😁

[Zantechick]

Im soooooo excited (try to not count my chickens till they've hatched tho)
Very strange as they are hydrid golden comets and apparently rarely incubate there eggs anf its her first egg season started to lay in january. But she is definately brooding.
We have got a cockrel , bob (decided to live with us from next field and never left with his wife and 3 babies ) hes been around for 3-4 weeks so reallllllly hoping their fertilized!
She has come off them every day or two for food and a dust bath. (Theres 9 eggs now obviously some arent hers) we coming into our summer in greece so should i leave them and let her sort them if the hatch or do i intervine. Didnt expect to be having this problem , the mummy chicken from next field (whoes decided to live with us) had her babies around november time are raised them herself.
They are safe were they are on bottom shelf in a tyre and bowl nest low down in a nice big warm coup. Do i need to separate them if/when they hatch i like the idea of her raising them as it will be warm and dry as im how mummy knows best
Any advice would be helpful thanks in advance xxxxx

 

[MLG1900]

Very cool! I have had only 1 broody hen in the last 4 years. It was so awesome letting her do all the work! She was a good Mama, too!

 

[Zantechick]

Very cool! I have had only 1 broody hen in the last 4 years. It was so awesome letting her do all the work! She was a good Mama, too!

Thats good to know i really want to leave her to it let nature do the work lol. Did u have any problems with your other hens . Im just worried they'll hurt the chicks by standing on them xx

 

[MLG1900]

Thats good to know i really want to leave her to it let nature do the work lol. Did u have any problems with your other hens . Im just worried they'll hurt the chicks by standing on them xx

I know how you feel! I was so worried, too. Especially, since this hen was not very bossy to begin with. But let me tell you, she was a whole different chicken when she had babies. I couldn't believe how fierce she got when the other hens came over investigating the chicks! They quickly learned to keep their distance. And Mama, often stayed away from the rest of the flock with her babies.

 

[Zantechick]

I know how you feel! I was so worried, too. Especially, since this hen was not very bossy to begin with. But let me tell you, she was a whole different chicken when she had babies. I couldn't believe how fierce she got when the other hens came over investigating the chicks! They quickly learned to keep their distance. And Mama, often stayed away from the rest of the flock with her babies.

Phew! that makes me feel abit better now just hope the hatch , trying not get too excite but cant help it lol
Thanks for ur help i'll let u know in around 21 days

 

[MGG]

Just a tip, you definitely should mark all of the eggs she's sitting on. Don't let any other hens lay eggs in the nest. Otherwise you'll have a staggered hatch and they younger embryos will die.

 

[Zantechick]

Thanks will do that tomorrow its been 4 days since ive left her eggs (didnt realize she was brooding at first, felt bad when i knew ) there were 9 eggs in there this morning so definately she's adopted a few lol xxx

 

[MGG]

Thanks will do that tomorrow its been 4 days since ive left her eggs (didnt realize she was brooding at first, felt bad when i knew ) there were 9 eggs in there this morning so definately she's adopted a few lol xxx

 

[Zantechick]

I've marked all 11 eggs with pencil and removed a couple of broken and cracked ones change the bedding while she was out for food and a dust bath shes now back on them. But is it ok for other hens to lay in the nest as long as i remove unmarked eggs? Ive not really got a way of stopping them. Sorry for all the questions but this side of chicken keeping is all new for me as i choose a breed less likely to broody lolXx

 

[MGG]

I've marked all 11 eggs with pencil and removed a couple of broken and cracked ones change the bedding while she was out for food and a dust bath shes now back on them. But is it ok for other hens to lay in the nest as long as i remove unmarked eggs? Ive not really got a way of stopping them. Sorry for all the wuestions but this side of chicken keeping is all new for me as i choose a breed less likely to broody lolXx

Sounds good. I would guess it's ok to let them keep laying, as long as you remove them immediately and don't let them bump her off the nest. It's ok, we're all here to either answer or ask questions.