Mabel's Broody Adventure ENDS

[Kittymomma]

It looks great! I think you have the Taj Mahal of broody pens going there.

 

[cherylcohen]

o way you are too sweet! I just don't have a clue about what I'm doing without all you guys guiding me. EGGS all arrive tomorrow AM!!!
Here's what I ended up with, if fedex, ups, post office and santa claus cooperate..


sicilian buttercup 3 eggs
barnevelder 3 eggs
SLW 4 eggs
speckled sussex 5 eggs
White Orpingtons 4 eggs

It's going to be too many for her. I really only meant to get 12-15....what should I do if they all make it here safe and sound? She's a big girl but even 15 is the max i think....

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Wow, how exciting!!!

We had a buff orp that would go broody all the time. We got some eggs from fellow BYCstaffer eggchel and here's how she did:
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/hatching-chicks-from-eggs.php

One of the other (many) times she went broody we went and picked up day old chicks at Concord Feed and stuck them under her in the middle of the night. At first it looked like she wasn't going to accept them, but after a little bit more peeping she took right to them.

Good luck!

 

[cherylcohen]

Thanks Rob! Life's an adventure...for sure

You'll have to stop by whenever we get some decent weather!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Looks like a great set-up now. I like that one photo where the other hens are looking longingly into the broody pen. I'm sure they'd love to lay their eggs in there.

When I have a setting hen I'll sprinkle some kind of insecticidal powder around, in & under the nest to discourage mites and the fire ants we have here. You hen may still want to take a dust bath some time, maybe not, but at least she has the opportunity to do so.

You did right to order more eggs than you need to set, there's always a chance some may break in shipping. If they all arrive intact you can just pick out the 12 most likely looking ones for setting and make an omlet with the rest.

 

[cherylcohen]

I'm so happy to see your post...I can't really think about anything else....What am I going to do??

You mention "pick the most likely looking ones for setting" OH MY how do I do that

 

[Ridgerunner]

Candle them, especially looking for cracks or weaknesses in the shell but also anything unusual inside the egg. The larger the air sac the older the egg so go with smaller air sacs.

Select regular looking eggs. If you have to eliminate any, eliminate the ones with ridges or strange shells.

Pick average sized eggs for the breed. Don't set unusually small or large eggs. Remember to compare them to the others ofthat breed, not all the others.

Choose against the ones that are dirty, especially with chicken poo.

Anything I left out????

Odds are this criteria won't help you much as I suspect the breeders shipped good eggs to you. Most people try to do what is right.

 

[cherylcohen]

Awesome thanks

Is there an instructional page or video on candleing. I've searched byc and I couldn't see one
you rock, thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think this is from the Learning Center up at the top.

Candling
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-candling.html

 

[boxermom]

Hi, I found you from 'Broody in Feb'. Looks like you're on the right track. Now, after you set your eggs, sit back and relax and let Mabel do her thing. That's one of the nice things about a broody hen. You can't see what is going on, so there is little to worry about. Just pretend Christmas is 21 days away. Sometimes, you even have a surprise on Christmas Eve...