Is 10 Eggs Reasonable for a First Time Broody Australorp?

[3KillerBs]

I'm about to set a broody and I'm trying to figure out how many eggs to give her.

Is 10 eggs a reasonable number for her? She's average-sized for my Blue Australorps, which are average-sized chickens.

I don't plan to hatch anything valuable. Probably half Australorp eggs and half mixed breed eggs.

 

[sourland]

Given a well padded, bowl shaped nest she should be able to readily cover them. I really like grass hay for forming the nest.

 

[3KillerBs]

Given a well padded, bowl shaped nest she should be able to readily cover them. I really like grass hay for forming the nest.

I made the nest with a mix of straw and shavings just like the box she's sitting in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I typically give my broody hens 12 eggs the size that they lay in good weather. In cold weather I cut back to 8 because the hen needs to cover all the chicks as they grow. That's not a problem this time of the year. Hens and eggs come in different sizes, from bantams and bantam eggs to some pretty big hens and big eggs. A small bantam might have trouble covering four really large eggs, who knows how many bantam eggs a large full-sized fowl hen could cover.

I read a lot about first time broodies on this forum. I pay no attention to that. In my experience first or fourth time makes no difference. Either her instincts are right or they are not.

If you can manage ten chicks that sounds like a great number to me. But so would 8 and so would 12 as long as she can cover them.

 

[3KillerBs]

If you can manage ten chicks that sounds like a great number to me. But so would 8 and so would 12 as long as she can cover them.

I can manage that many chicks -- especially if she's doing the work.

What I don't want to keep and can't sell I can eat.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

My australorp ladies are the BEST broodies and momma hens! I have no faith in the RIRs, and by BPR's have to prove themselves before I let them have a clutch.

 

[loopycoops]

Hello! We had our broody Australorp hen sitting on 12 I believe and she seemed very comfortable. Look forward to updates if you can send them through!

 

[3KillerBs]

Hello! We had our broody Australorp hen sitting on 12 I believe and she seemed very comfortable. Look forward to updates if you can send them through!

Oh! I didn't update this thread.

This is the one that the snake got in and ate the clutch!

Poor girl was in a panic over her new "roommate" in the maternity ward.