Is she precocious or what?

[revelu]

My 5 month old Partridge Rock hen constantly was getting out of the pen and back in, on her own-- I looked for her yesterday afternoon to see where she keeps going, and she was under the old (unused of course) outhouse sitting on a nest of 6 or 7 eggs!!! I had no idea she was even laying that much yet as my first 6 hens just started laying a week and a half ago-- I'm letting her sit on them for a few days and then I might move them, or candle them first and then bring them inside to an incubator if fertile-- or should I just let her have them? This is Michigan and nights will be getting cold very soon, especially around hatch-time--

 

[JennsPeeps]

If you want to let her hatch them, I'd move her into the coop. The chicks will need protection from the cold (as will she) as it gets colder.

 

[Chirpy]

I agree with JennsPeeps - if you want her to hatch them (which I think is great) I'd move her now to a safe, warmer area and let her sit.

 

[Love my Critters!]

I also agree with the above. I also prefer to let my hens hatch and raise their young. Mine are all great at being mommies, plus you don't have to have a messy brooder inside for months. If you do move her and the eggs do it at night time so she is less likely to get upset and move back to the old nest with out the eggs. Good luck. How exciting!!

 

[revelu]

The hens have been sharing a nest inside, so I gathered her eggs and marked them and I'm putting them in a new nest next to the other one, she has 7 eggs (would have been 8 but I found a stray one a few days ago and brought it inside-- also it's neat that a couple of the eggs I brought in are developing veins-- so this partridge hen's babies (and everybody else's too) will be half silver laced wyandotte-- and the others could be SLW/Buff Orp , SLW/Lt. Brahma, or SLW/black australorp, can't wait to see my very own babies!
;0)

I think I'll give her back some of the 7 and keep a couple of them inside for experiment's sake-- if she does a good job she can take over next time-- I also have some young Silkies and look forward to them going broody, they are so cute!
oh, and also I have Brabanters, Spitzhauben, Faverolles, and Orloffs-- plan on keeping them separate when they are old enough, and maybe will mix up a couple on purpose a time or two--

and I have the friendliest baby turkeys I've ever seen, and one lone peachick starting to get his or her 'crown'
this is all so much fun!!!!

Vicki in beautiful fall weather or should I say fowl-weather Michigan!

 

[cmom]

I would candle them and see if there are any furtile ones.

 

[cmom]

Love my Critters! :

I also agree with the above. I also prefer to let my hens hatch and raise their young. Mine are all great at being mommies, plus you don't have to have a messy brooder inside for months. If you do move her and the eggs do it at night time so she is less likely to get upset and move back to the old nest with out the eggs. Good luck. How exciting!!

I agree. I would candle them and see if there are any furtile ones.​