Holy Moly! I have a BROODY! 2 babies hatched :)

[MissPrissy]

The eggs came Saturday from bamachicken - RIR's. We let them rest then went out just at dark and set up a very large dark crate with bedding and food and water dish. my dh says there is another hen acting broody and she just growled at him and was upset when he collected the eggs.

Wuh? I had not seen one sign of broody anything but this BR. So I let him decide what to do because I often get accused of telling him what to do and how to do it even though he has never in his life had chickens or any other farm animal. So, he gets another crate and sets it up for a second broody - a white wyandotte, one of the Wandas. All of the white wyandottes are Wanda.

I went out yesterday morning and the BR is not sitting. Did moving her break her brood? Wanda is flattened out and sitting on her share of eggs. Not looking good. the BR eggs are cold. She hasn't sat at all.

I go out yesterday afternoon. The BR are has buried the eggs under the bedding, eaten the feeder empty and is pacing. I look in the layer house and there is a BR in the corner sitting tight on some eggs. He nabbed the wrong BR hen in the dark.

So, you know, I am tired of playing this game. I took the white wyandotte and moved her to the bigger crate. Slipped all the eggs under her and walked away.

Last night she was sitting tight. She has also pulled out a ton of lower neck and chest feathers. I take it she is 'feathering her nest'. I am offering her more treats if she is sitting on 10 RIR eggs.

We'll see where this goes.

 

[BamaChicken]

If I move my brodies, I always moved them at nite in the nest they are setting in. I try to cover them with a towel and it usually always works. I do this when try to separate them from the rest of the flock. I understand that if they set on the ground or get in a nonmovable nest it makes hard.

 

[Yogiman]

Just to share my own experience with broody hens. I had 3 hens go broody this past week and no eggs. The eggs arrived Saturday morning. I built a next box to accomodate the 3 hens and placed it under the covered run just outside of the henhouse. At 9:00 o'clock that night I placed the eggs in the nests and moved each hen onto the nest. I also fenced off the small area around the nest boxes to keep the other hens from bothering them. All three hens have held steadfast to the nests getting off just long enough to eat and drink and right back on the nests.

I feel much more at ease with the hens sitting than I do with the eggs in the bator because this is my first attempt to hatch with a bator. Right now I could use 3 more broody hens with the new eggs arriving today. lol

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Good luck!!!!!

 

[Freebie]

My Buffy is the most awesome broody. She does not bite or scratch. I just went and picked her straight up this morning and checked her 14 eggs. They are due to begin hatching on the 16th. I had to move her as well. She was sitting in a box and the other hens were laying in the box next to her. She got off her eggs and went and set on the other hens eggs. I just took her and all the eggs and moved them away from the other hens. She had 16, but when I candled them last week two were bad. Apparently she had to have all the eggs she could possibly fit under her.

I wish all people who liked to hatch had just one Buffy, to me she is priceless and keeps me totally in control. I can only hatch when she is broody and I only allow myself one hatch a year. Last year she was broody twice. but I just let her be, and kept taking her eggs.

I look forward to little pictures.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Quote:
I hope I have a Buffy eventually!!! COngratulations Miss Prissy!

 

[MissPrissy]

We did wait and move her at night, Julie. He went in the dark hen house and picked the wrong BR! Mainly because he doesn't listen to me. Also my nest boxes are commercial style from around 1915. They are long and weigh almost 100lbs each and can accomodate 6 or more hens in each slot. There is no way you can move that nest. I had to make a new nest.

The wyandotte is holding fast. The BR I had gotten the eggs for - well she is still sitting in an empty nest box.

 

[MissPrissy]

Well, today is day 21. She is sitting tight! We can't see anything. She has plucked her chest and upper belly bare from what we can see. I hope to see some lil red heads peaking out from under that big fat white momma hen!

 

[dacjohns]

We're with you although I probably won't stay up all night waiting.

 

[MissPrissy]

Hahaha! She is in the barn. I won't be up all night either!