I Have A Broody!

[OccamsTazer]

AAAAGH!
Help!

I'm so excited! What do I do? Where do I go? Do I run in circles, scream and shout?

With all the wedding planning and the trip to the beach last weekend to book a spot, I've been neglecting egg duties. I haven't collected since Friday. I went out to pick them up, and there were two hens setting. The BA ran off in a snit, but the EE took a chunk out of my hand when I reached in. I tried it three times, three times she bit me. She is holding the eggs up around her body.
Survey says: BROODY!

I removed the eggs that were sticking out from around her, but left the big pile under her. How many can she handle? Should I move her?
She is in the main coop in a nest box. I have a large dog crate set up as a broody coop, with a half trash can with a hole in it for the nest. They often lay in there too. Should I move her there tonight, or will that break her up?
Should I just wait and see?

I cracked all the eggs that were under the BA who ran off, I thought I'd cook them up for the birds since they are too old for us people types. Most of them had veining, so they we know our roo is good.

Halp!

 

[trilyn]

Congrats, I've got one too!! Woohoo!!

I realized she was broody exactly a week ago and put eggs under her on Thursday! Won't be long now! Upon discovering I had a broody, I went googling, found this site that was extremely practical and informative, here goes:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[OccamsTazer]

Thanks for the info! Looks like BA really wants to get broody too. I went out to peek at Broody EE, and BA was in the box with her, sitting on four of her eggs. She ran off in a snit again, but EE stayed put.

I guess tonight I will move her, and tomorrow or the next day I will put fresh eggs under her. I'm afraid she's got so many right now that she isn't covering them properly.

 

[toscany]

I have seen as many as 13 chicks hatch in a brood. Not to say it is any world record...

 

[poultrypatch]

I too have a broody Ameraucanas...Buttercup. She's sitting on 3 lg Muscovy eggs and each day her stash of chick eggs grows thanks to her friends that contribute ! She's sitting waaaay up off the nest now ! ) I tried to move her into a dog crate a few days ago. She got very snitty and stamped on eggs smashing 3 of them. What a hissy ! Now I've noticed she and a few other girls take turns on the nest. I of course didn't mark the eggs after I moved her back from crate. So her stash will continue to grow! Wish I could get her back into a crate. She's been on those 'Scovy eggs since 4/05 and I'm keeping my fingers crossed ! I keep wetting them by hand.
Liz
MA

 

[OccamsTazer]

OHMIGOSH, I could put her on some Muscovy eggs! I want ducks bigtime bad. Heck yeah.

 

[OccamsTazer]

Now we have competitive brooding. EE got up to have a snack, and BA hopped on the nest. EE couldn't get back on, so now she's out foraging.
At least someone is sitting on the eggs!
I think since they're in a broody state of mind, I'll put both of them in private coops tonight and see what happens.

 

[OccamsTazer]

We just performed a Broody Girl Transfer!
Aussie was still on the nest after dark, so I think she means business. I grabbed her, and Josh moved the eggs into the broody coop.
When I picked her up, I felt that her belly is naked! She must mean business if she's ripped her feathers out.

We shall see if tomorrow finds a broody girl or a broody box full of stomped eggs.