Old Biddy must think it's Christmas....

[Mojo Chick'n]

I got a broody hen (Old Biddy) who has just gone to setting again (she just got done raising a chick to 6 weeks, yeah, just one lived, it was her first hatch and there were complications from a human - me - who was sort of ignorant of the whole saga).

So, yesterday I put some oegb eggs under her (about 12) to see if they'll hatch. I have no idea about these eggs, I got them from a neighbor, he says they're fresh, I guess we'll see. I'll candle them in a week or so, to see if they are alive or rotten, or whatnot.

She is named Old Biddy because she hasn't ever hatched out any of her own eggs, just other hens eggs, LOL. She is the best Mama, though, the real mama tried to get in on the action on the last hatch (after they had been sat on for 17 days already) and even after the chicks were born, she got bored rather easily and would leave them, but not Old Biddy.

She still lets that chick hang with her - the chick is sitting on top of her right now, in fact, while she is sitting eggs, LOL.

She must have figured it was Christmas this morning when she discovered all those eggs under her - even if they are teeny tiny eggs, LOL.

Peace -
Meriah

 

[d.k]

* Always good to have a reliable "Momma" bird around, if you can.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Yeah, it sure is - SO much easier than brooding them myself.

I have yet to get an incubator - hubby is gonna buy me one for Christmas, we just been too busy to bother with one before now. But now I'm going to be getting into breeding the oegb, so I'll probably need one (or two, or three <eg>).

This set is just for practice, to see how that big old hen will do with teeny babies. If I know her she'll protect them LONG after they're old enough, LOL simply because they are small. That one little chick she hatched is smaller - he is mid sized, not a big chicken, part banty.

It is so funny to watch her with chicks - every other bird in the coop runs and scatters when she comes near them with her baby.
They've learned it doesn't pay to move slowly when she's coming through.

If these eggs aren't viable, my back up plan is to gather the eggs this week from my best laying hen and put those under her - I can always use more good laying hens (my neighbors all want fresh eggs).

Peace -
Meriah

 

[chilling in muscadine]

O K schoole me, What 's oegb?????

 

[KrisRenee]

Old English Game Hen

B for bird or biddy or bantam? maybe?

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Old English Game Bantam

Peace-
Meriah

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Ahhhhhh!!!!!