Maybe babies!!

[aart]

RutRoh.....I was wondering/worrying about the new nest.
I've found 5gal bucket nests to be rather small....is it well braced against rolling?
Guess all you can do is cross you fingers that her broody instincts overcome her hate of change.

 

[microchick]

Yep, she's a bantam alright. Head strong and determined.

Maybe you could try to add more eggs to the nest. I'd try marking 3 or 4 'dud' eggs and adding them to her two. Sometimes a lot of eggs will kick those instincts into high gear.

Other than that you may be forced to return her to her original nest and blocking her in somehow to protect her eggs and her from others.

 

[Elmochook]

I put her back in the original nest box. I had blocked her in mostly with a stool that blocks my big buff out. I brought her eggs inside to look at them because they were sooo cold and they were moving in there so i took them back to her in thw big girl coop. She is super headstrong and i dont think she will take crap from Ziptie. I hadnt had issues with Ziptie since putting the stool there.

 

[Elmochook]

She wouldn't fit on any more eggs as she is on 2 buff eggs anyways and at max booty capacity with those and she quit laying for this endeavor

 

[microchick]

Glad to hear she went back to the eggs once put back in her original box. Some birds will accept the move and others won't. Silly birds.

As for seeing life in your eggs....

DH gave me one of those coop kits for Christmas. I have a large coop that my bantams occupy and two smaller coops that standard sized buff O's and Welsummers live in and then a bachelor pen. The kit is put together and sitting in our shop waiting for spring so I can move it outside. It will be my broody and grow out pen. But in case a hen doesn't want to be moved, I have a back up plan in the form of a nest box that sits on the floor of the coop under the regular nesting boxes. The hens lay in it and are comfortable with it so if one doesn't want to be moved, I have three screened panels that I can put up around the lowest nesting box and use it as a broody pen.

I've learned the hard way that when it comes to chickens, I always need a back up plan.

Have you marked your eggs? Other hens may be determined to donate to your broody's project so I would make it a point to check under her for donated eggs, just in case your BO hen decides to add to the two your little girl is sitting on.

 

[Elmochook]

Glad to hear she went back to the eggs once put back in her original box. Some birds will accept the move and others won't. Silly birds.

As for seeing life in your eggs....

DH gave me one of those coop kits for Christmas. I have a large coop that my bantams occupy and two smaller coops that standard sized buff O's and Welsummers live in and then a bachelor pen. The kit is put together and sitting in our shop waiting for spring so I can move it outside. It will be my broody and grow out pen. But in case a hen doesn't want to be moved, I have a back up plan in the form of a nest box that sits on the floor of the coop under the regular nesting boxes. The hens lay in it and are comfortable with it so if one doesn't want to be moved, I have three screened panels that I can put up around the lowest nesting box and use it as a broody pen.

I've learned the hard way that when it comes to chickens, I always need a back up plan.

Have you marked your eggs? Other hens may be determined to donate to your broody's project so I would make it a point to check under her for donated eggs, just in case your BO hen decides to add to the two your little girl is sitting on.

Thats why i blocked her in with a stool. My buff cant fit in the box but my bantam can come and go with ease. This is all a fun learning experience for me. The 2 eggs that got eaten were actually donated by the buff before i realized i needed to block the bantam in. I think she knew they werent developing at the same speed maybe so she got rid of them for her? Lol idk

 

[Elmochook]

Well today i had to go to Dallas and noticed Chicaletta out in the run this morning and hoped she was just out for breakfast but she was out when i got back home to so i went to touch her eggs and they were ice cold. I really felt they should have been here by now so I had a feeling she abandoned for a reason and decided to crack one open and it was nowhere near the size it should have been by now and she has been sitting on some tiny dead babes. :/ i gave her some free range time today and she was super happy to be out and dust bathing... Oh well Chicaletta. Better luck next time. Thanks for following our little story.

 

[Elmochook]

Its kinda poetic that she lost 2 babies like her chicken mama though... I think i love her more now.

 

[microchick]

For both you and Chicaletta.

Sometimes a sudden drop in temperature early on will kill a developing chick embryo. I've read that they are more forgiving of temp fluctuations when they have matured a bit longer.

Chica is an English Game Bantam? Oh yeah, there will be next time.

 

[Elmochook]

For both you and Chicaletta.

Sometimes a sudden drop in temperature early on will kill a developing chick embryo. I've read that they are more forgiving of temp fluctuations when they have matured a bit longer.

Chica is an English Game Bantam? Oh yeah, there will be next time.

Thanks. I honestly dont know ehat she is... I was assuming leghorn bantam