My first broody attempt!

[fshinggrl]

Ok, I have a Welsummer hen who decided she wanted to set on eggs. I do not have a rooster, so I asked a friend of mine for some eggs. She gave me one banty egg, 9 mixed breed chicken eggs and three duck eggs. I do realize incubation period is longer for the duck eggs so I will be ready with an incubator IF this little experiment works out. I put her in a large dog crate so she is protected and no one can add eggs to her already full nest. She seems to be doing great. I have not seen her get up or do anything. Does anyone have any tips or hints for me to make this successful? How do I make sure she is eating/drinking? She has water/food available but I don't know how to get her to drink. Here is a picture of her today (day 3) setting on her eggs.

 

[KDchickenmomma]

Just have clean food and water available for her. She will get up and eat, drink and evacuate once a day. It is okay for her to leave her eggs for 20 minutes. Good luck! I just had my first broody in March. Only 1 out of 9 hatched. Then it passed. I adopted a peep for her and she has been raising her for 3 months. I just had a 2nd hen go broody about three weeks ago. She hatched 2 out of 5 and those two are doing great!

This is Dorothy and Chicky and their adopted daughter DD.


Chelsea and her daughters Lucky and Lucy.

 

[fshinggrl]

Today is day 4. I gave her new water as she was out. I do not know if the container leaked out or if she actually drink some. I do not see any poop in there at all, but she is laying in a different position so I know she has gotten up, which is good news. Candling is going to be interesting if I do it when dark as I cannot really reach her nest in the crate. I do plan on waiting until you can definitely see something in the eggs, so probably halfway through. Is that a good thing?

 

[fshinggrl]

You can see one of the eggs peeking out there in front of her. She is in a different position today as I posted earlier.