NEWBIE CHICKEN SLAVE HAS ONE SITTING FOR FIRST TIME

[balkbalkbalk]

One of our Americaunas (Goldylocks) is sitting on an unknown # of eggs - Day 3.

I feel unprepared. When I realized she was the same chicken still sitting yesterday (we have 10 hens and 6 nesting boxes)
I decided I probably shouldn't disturb her in case she was trying to hatch an egg. or two. or...
I have never pet her, but I've been talking to her sweetly every day and she doesn't seem stressed.
I KNOW NOTHING
I feel bad that I didn't think this through.
Now I'm wishing we had not kept this rooster. We got all the chickens as babies this last spring. Got rid of 3 roosters but kept Hansel cause he is gentle and HUGE and very pretty and really watches out for the hens.
So...
1. How long does it usually take for eggs to hatch?
2. Does she need food and water while she is sitting on the eggs?

the nest boxes are about two feet up from the floor of the coop. it's straw-lined and has a red chicken light on in there 24/7.

3. if she hatches any successfully, should I make a space in the coop with pine shavings and crumble and such under the light?
4. how will I keep the other hens from attacking the chicks?

I apologize in advance to anyone here who will think I'm reckless or careless. I love my chickens and I want to do this right.

I can't imagine taking the chicks away from the mother and raising them separately. And I can't imagine taking her eggs away from her now that she's been sitting either.

I'm grateful for this forum and eager to read your replies.
~Prism

 

[sumi]

First of all, don't worry, it's happened to me and I'm sure it's happened to quite a few members here. My hen sat happily on her eggs for 2 weeks before we found her nest!

1. It takes on average 21 days for a chicken egg, though I've had chicks hatch on day 18-25. So if they don't hatch bang on time, don't worry!
2. She'll need to eat and drink, though it will be better not to feed her on the nest. She may relieve herself in there and soil the eggs. Place some food and water nearby so she can access it when she gets up. Broodies get up every day usually, until the chicks start hatching, then you can offer her some water on the nest.
3. That's a good idea. Make sure if you're feeding the flock layer food that she and the chicks don't eat of it. The high calcium content of layer food can harm the chick's organs. Mom will be fine on chick crumble though.
4. They may or may not attack them. It's happened to me and some members here says it's never happened to them. If you are worried keep them in a separate enclosure in the coop/run for the first week so the others can get used to them.

You said you don't handle her much, so I think what you should do is make sure the other hens don't add eggs to her clutch. Hens like to go lay where there are eggs already and when she gets up they may do that. What you can do is wait until she goes to the bathroom and mark her eggs with a non-toxic marker and check daily, in the evenings, when she's less likely to fly off.

Have fun and let us know when your chicks arrive!

 

[Dasp]

Hello,

Congrats! that's one of my favorite feelings is when a hen is going to hatch her own batch..

Unfortunately I can't keep rooster so I incubate my eggs with an incubator.

But the eggs should hatch within 3 weeks if they are fertile and she is successful.

You will need to give her a personal area with her chicks to grow for at least 2-3 weeks.

And when a chicken is broody she will not eat/drink much and looks as if she has a fever.

when she get's off the eggs she will also poop a huge ball of poop that smells quite bad! lol

But wait until they hatch.. It will give you a great warm feeling!

Best of luck!

Regards

 

[balkbalkbalk]

Thank you for sharing your experience with your chickens!
Goldylocks got out of her nest today and ate, drank, pooped, got a little walk in, and then returned to her box.

I was able to see she is sitting on her yellow egg and one of Little Cinder Girl's blue eggs.
While I was waiting for replies here, I learned that what I thought were my 3 Ameracaunas, are not even Americaunas spelled wrong, but Easter Eggers, and that her cross with Our Black Copper Marans Roo might produce Olive Eggers!
I am TOTALLY geeking out on this as we are already getting so many different colors of eggs.




I have recently started selling them locally as rainbow eggs in hopes that the cash will pay for their food and such
Thanks again for your ideas and the warm welcome.

Prism

 

[sumi]

What a lovely box of eggs! I wish I had breeds that laid colourful eggs, I'm jealous

I hope your girl hatches those eggs for you!

 

[balkbalkbalk]

Hello BYC friendlies
Just an update on those eggs that hatched w/I incident into what seems to b two roosters(rats!) we were able to build a separate enclosed area for mom n chicks at one end of the coop w/o need to separate them while mom wanted to b close. She now has little to do with them and they are beginning to blend in w the rest of the flock.
They generally hang out about two feet away from the adults and do that "face fighting" thing that our other roosters did when they were little. So. Bummer. No green eggs.
Maybe we'll let her sit again. Nature did its thing and it was fun to be close to the process.
Thanks again to folks that supported me.