My First Broody!

[4 ever Orpington]

At the insistence of @KikisGirls I am starting a thread about my broody pullet Charlotte. Charlotte is a Golden Sebright x Old English Game Bantam pullet. For the past few days she was acting all odd. She would walk around all puffed out and make noises. I suspected that she would go broody. Well yesterday she laid her last egg and promptly went broody. So now I will be getting 6 fertile eggs this Sunday for her to hatch.
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I’ll be watching also !

 

[4 ever Orpington]

You’re pushing it

How would I possibly know what to look for?

So day 7 and day 18 got it.

Also candle on day 365 first birthday . Good luck my friend

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I candles my three and two were veiny the other one I couldn’t tell. Also, have you ever had a problem with your hen going to get food and water and come back and get in the wrong box with no eggs?! She’s still sitting but twice now she’s accidentally gotten into the box with no eggs ?! Weird.

That happens a lot when they are sitting in the nestboxes. Most hens don't necessarily care if they hatch anything. They just want to set because the hormones tell them too. Not every broody is a good mom or knows what to do, so all first time broodies need to be watched, and be ready to brood any chicks if mom starts to attack them.

 

[4 ever Orpington]

read a book!
Start with this one:
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/2114/nutrient-requirements-of-poultry-ninth-revised-edition-1994

 

[4 ever Orpington]

Still waiting

Are you getting as grumpy as your broody hen?

 

[4 ever Orpington]

I just gave 4 incubator babies to a hen who has been trying her hardest to be broody for the past month.

So we set her up with a broody box and some fake eggs earlier this week and let her sit. Earlier today, I gave the chicks a dose of NutriDrench and I took the chicks out and gave them to the broody. I'm leaving to go on a business trip tomorrow morning, so I wanted to give them to her today so I could keep an eye on her. I put them under her and three of them immediately popped right back out. She growled and pecked at them to get them to go under her. They weren't getting the message and she wasn't happy until I shoved them up under her butt. Then they stayed put.

I just went out to check on them because they haven't left the nest, not surprising, because it is a nasty rainy day. I had to lift her wing to see if the babies were okay. When I lifted her wing, out this baby popped. She was clamped over them tighter than a clam shell over a pearl.

This one didn't want to come out.

Precious!

 

[4 ever Orpington]

She growled and fluffed up at me. I could tell she wasn’t happy being disturbed.

I have friends who’s Rhode Island broody would’ve flogged a grizzly bear! Great mother just the same.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Charlotte had dirty feet and got some dirt on the eggs, will this affect them?

 

[Kiki]

Charlotte had dirty feet and got some dirt on the eggs, will this affect them?

I'm going to say no, don't worry about it.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I'm going to say no, don't worry about it.

Okay. I need to find a better flashlight for candling. I can’t see into the blue eggs.