Hatching with 2 broodies

[lizgarf]

Hi liz I am North West of you in Lake County.. Come join us on the Northern California thread. Super friendly Super knowledgeable people who are always willing to help and answer questions. Also lots of breeders hang out there and they are more than willing to help enable any chick addiction you may have

Thanks for the tip! Nice to meet you!

 

[Teila]

Is she an Australorp? That's what my broody is and she is a perfect setter and brooder. Exciting that you are so close.

G'Day tommysgirl .. nice to meet you
She is a Bantam Cochin (8 months old).
Update: The tag-teaming appears to have stopped, Dusty has given up again (I'll note that for next time, she prefers playing over nesting). Cilla is still hanging in there going solo. The only time Dusty sits on them now is when she has an egg to lay; still, it gives Cilla a longer break.
I have purchased some chick-start (tempting fate) and have it and water in with Cilla now; just in case!

The other thing which is interesting is Britney (Bantam Leghorn). She hasn't been mentioned before because she really seems to be ignoring the whole thing, much happier doing her wrecking-ball impersonations on the garden! She was, however, interested to find 'new' yummies in the nest box when she spotted the chick-start
Anyway, when this broodiness all started she stopped laying. Hasn't laid an egg since the 19th of September. She is not broody and she appears very healthy. I thought it might have something to do with not being able to get to her favourite nest box but a friend advises that she can't pick and choose if she lays, so I'm wondering if she is semi-caught-up in the whole hormone, broody thing or it is just a coincidence.

 

[lizgarf]

Anyway, when this broodiness all started she stopped laying. Hasn't laid an egg since the 19th of September. She is not broody and she appears very healthy. I thought it might have something to do with not being able to get to her favourite nest box but a friend advises that she can't pick and choose if she lays, so I'm wondering if she is semi-caught-up in the whole hormone, broody thing or it is just a coincidence.

Huh, weird. Is it possible she has a secret nest in the garden? I found one made by Grace once, and I suspect Stella had one before she passed and I just haven't found it yet.

My team broodies are still at it. When one takes her break, the other carefully moves all the eggs under herself, and then they switch or just snuggle up on them both. Frida actually took two breaks today, which I hadn't noticed before. Good for her, since she's been at this for 3 weeks now!

 

[Teila]

Aaaw, cute, Go Team Broody! lol
Good thought but no secret nest anywhere. The garden doesn't have too many spots where a secret could be kept; also they are never free-ranging unless one of us is watching them and we have to watch them closely or we wouldn't have a garden ... pot plants are really just large chicken feeders apparently lol
Research suggests stress can cause it and while she is not acting stressed, all the stuff going on at the moment could be putting her off.
I'm not concerned, obviously I don't have 3 bantams for their egg production skills ... they are my funny little garden helpers

 

[lizgarf]

Aaaw, cute, Go Team Broody! lol
Good thought but no secret nest anywhere. The garden doesn't have too many spots where a secret could be kept; also they are never free-ranging unless one of us is watching them and we have to watch them closely or we wouldn't have a garden ... pot plants are really just large chicken feeders apparently lol
Research suggests stress can cause it and while she is not acting stressed, all the stuff going on at the moment could be putting her off.
I'm not concerned, obviously I don't have 3 bantams for their egg production skills ... they are my funny little garden helpers

Even my big garden isn't safe from my little bantam Andalusian, Grace. I have to put fences around every new plant she might have access to or she will dig it right out of the ground. I don't mind a little nibbling, but Grace goes straight for the roots! At least she's a good layer!

 

[coops gone crazy]

I am sorry to go a bit off topic here but this^^^^^ made me want to share this vvvvvvv

In spite of what you may have herd egg eating is relatively rare. By that I mean that it is rare for a hen to go out of her way to break open and eat an egg. On the other hand it is quite normal for hens to seize the opportunity to go after a broken egg and gobble it up.

I learned this when I thought I had to cull two of my girls I caught with egg on their beaks. I came here for advice and was able to solve the problem by:

upping their calcium...they were already getting a layer feed but I added free choice oyster shell mixed with their own shells, worming them: because apparently worms do a number on their reproductive systems gathering eggs as often as possible so that if there was a broken/weak shelled one I could get it before the girls did. I also figured out that it was one girl who consistently layed weak shelled eggs so I sort of am able to keep an eye on her schedule.

I don't have an egg eating problem any more. I isolated the two suspects and they both ignored one another's eggs during the two weeks they were separated so it was a situational, not a habitual thing for them.

I hope to figure out what is up with our egg production soon. I haven't been able to definitively identify the issue yet. And yes- shelling issues were the original problem. Kept finding yolk all over in the nest box and on the eggs. Had some young hens that had just started laying. Found some shell-less eggs. Also often was finding one hens eggs with holes in the end regularly and fragile shell. I added oyster shell again free choice. The shells of all of the eggs have been really good now. Even the guys that buy eggs have commented on the hard shells compared to store bought. It may be just a coincidence and multiple factors. Day length has gotten a lot shorter- I added the light a couple weeks ago that turns on at 3 am. One hen was not feeling well about a week and a half ago. Also- I work 24 hr shifts so when my boys are not home I can't get the eggs gathered that day. What do you use to deworm? Seems to be a controversial subject. Once the broody's are done with the small coop, if egg production is still off, I plan to maybe isolate a couple hens at a time to try to figure out who is laying what.

The good news is- both hens are still sitting on the eggs. Only 20 days to go. LOL.

 

[Teila]

Hey there Support Team .. I'm stressing!
So it's Monday here is Aus. I picked up my eggs on the Sunday and when the lady gave them to me she said to mark 20 days on the calendar. I'm thinking they were probably laid on the Saturday the 21st. 20 days from when she handed them to me is up on Friday.
I noticed today that one of the eggs has a small circular 'indent' in the shell and some very very tiny cracks, barely visible (needed my glasses). It doesn't smell at all.
I'm freaking out! I don't know if something is happening, I don't want to mess with it. Apparently some bantams hatch on day 18 and if you include the Saturday they were laid on, tomorrow is day 18!
I don't know what to do, I don't know if one of them is starting to hatch or something has gone wrong.
OMG stress levels are now officially through the roof! lol

 

[coops gone crazy]

Sit, wait and watch. It may well be a pip. Is it near the air sac end?

 

[Teila]

Thank you Coops, I'm taking deep breaths; too early for a Bourbon lol
Yep, I did some research and the circle/crack is near what I assume to be the air sac end .. it is closer to the larger, more rounded end and pretty much in the right spot by the diagrams I saw on the internet but I'm just worried about the time .. it seems too early? By the quick look I got (didn't pick it up or anything) it hasn't 'broken' all the way through.
Cilla is back sitting on them after her break so I can't do much or peek which is probably a good thing :-D

 

[lizgarf]

Thank you Coops, I'm taking deep breaths; too early for a Bourbon lol
Yep, I did some research and the circle/crack is near what I assume to be the air sac end .. it is closer to the larger, more rounded end and pretty much in the right spot by the diagrams I saw on the internet but I'm just worried about the time .. it seems too early? By the quick look I got (didn't pick it up or anything) it hasn't 'broken' all the way through.
Cilla is back sitting on them after her break so I can't do much or peek which is probably a good thing :-D

Oh my gosh!!! So exciting! I'm jealous! I wish mine would come early. Hang on tight and see how it goes! From what I hear about broodies, she should take care of it better than we could, so may as well go to work, eh?