We have FOUR broody BA's. That's out of 10 hens!
Since we have no roos right now the first two that went broody got duck eggs to sit on. The girls are not getting off their nests at all so once a day I am lifting them off the nest to eat and drink and run around screaming like crazy broodies!
The first group of eggs is due to hatch next Tuesday. All eggs have been candled and look like everything is developing normally. I know if you brood in an incubator you have to lockdown the eggs at some point (3 days?) prior to the hatch. What do I do with the hens? Do I lift them off the nest every day until I find a pip then leave them on the nest or do we just let them sit at a certain point until the eggs hatch?
I've read that in this heat we might have an early hatch. Is that true? Should that change what we do with the eggs?
I just want to do this right since this our first hatch and I want to do the right thing for both the ducklings and the broodies.
Since we have no roos right now the first two that went broody got duck eggs to sit on. The girls are not getting off their nests at all so once a day I am lifting them off the nest to eat and drink and run around screaming like crazy broodies!
The first group of eggs is due to hatch next Tuesday. All eggs have been candled and look like everything is developing normally. I know if you brood in an incubator you have to lockdown the eggs at some point (3 days?) prior to the hatch. What do I do with the hens? Do I lift them off the nest every day until I find a pip then leave them on the nest or do we just let them sit at a certain point until the eggs hatch?
I've read that in this heat we might have an early hatch. Is that true? Should that change what we do with the eggs?
I just want to do this right since this our first hatch and I want to do the right thing for both the ducklings and the broodies.
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