Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

it is looking more and more like our beautiful IR Duck Penelope is well on her way to going broody. She spends more and more time on the nest every day, quacks all the time (she RARELY quacks) is a little puffed up, and stood at her nest this morning quacking loudly at me. Normally she runs right out of the coop. She has been back on her nest for 3 hours so far this morning.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well the inevitable happened - Topsy went out to grab a quick bite, have a little drink and drop the obligatory stinky poo - then she hustled back to the nestbox. But upon returning to her nest - she found her nemesis Smokey contentedly sitting atop her eggs. So Topsy did what any self respecting broody would do - she moved to a new nest with no eggs, just a pingpong ball in it! She promptly sat down on the pingpong ball and nudged it under herself to the best possible hatching position.

I felt sorry for her so I retrieved two of the LO eggs from under Smokey and put them under Topsy. I'm hoping one of the LO eggs will be fertile since the Silkie roo is on one of them quite often. I'll check in a couple of days to see if developing. I candled her eggs again and I know her eggs aren't fertile because they look like the 3rd picture of just the yolk in this person's blog http://blog.katherineplumer.com/2006/04/6-days.html and I didn't see the rooster get on her at all.

I see that she's commited to sitting now - she just doesn't want to do it in that little area I picked out. But I'm still in a holding pattern as far as what to put under her - I don't want to buy a dozen eggs - bantam or LF - because she can't hatch that many and I don't want to do it inside the house. I don't even want to buy half a dozen - although I suppose I may have to. I'm sort of sorry I got rid of my LO roo now - he could have helped out with fertilized eggs. Oh, well - I figure I have about a week before I have to decide as she just started sitting 4 days ago. What to do, what to do...

 

[chooniecat]

Hard for me to correspond if I have a question on here-computer lets me post then takes forever to go anywhere else-ANYHOO- Suzette is still sitting on eggs(haven't counted yet) and shes at 72+ hours so IF goes Ok there may be a hatch on mamas day YEAH. She has NOT eaten/drank anything and cleaned some poop from under her but otherwise not disturbing her. Shes in "broody pen" I constructed in chic house by herself so its not totally natural but close enough! Amazing how poofie she looks being such a small hen.

 

[bobbieschicks]

oohhh I broke down and ordered silkie eggs to put under Topsy - hopefully she will be able to hatch some out. Otherwise it will be an expensive lesson. HAHA!

 

[aoxa]

Finally got around to taking some pictures of my girl Olive and her five barred rock fluffy butts.

Olive has lost a ton of weight through her broodiness. She is starting to look more and more full everyday! Janet's babies are all on their own - they are almost 8 weeks old now! :O

Fern

Gigi - my houdan cockerel - I thought Gigi was a boy since week 1! I sure hope I'm right!

Free range time

Mama is spending her time with the big girls/guys again

 

[bobbieschicks]

Awwhhh - so cute! They grow up so fast.

Finally got around to taking some pictures of my girl Olive and her five barred rock fluffy butts.

Olive has lost a ton of weight through her broodiness. She is starting to look more and more full everyday!
Janet's babies are all on their own - they are almost 8 weeks old now! :O

Fern

Gigi - my houdan cockerel - I thought Gigi was a boy since week 1! I sure hope I'm right!

Free range time

Mama is spending her time with the big girls/guys again

 

[Chicken Chat]

My two mommas are doing well with their babies, still have 6 broody silkies on 6 eggs due at the end of next week. Thought this was too funny!

 

[Fuffy]

Absolutely!!!!

LOL... Tweed and Robust Canons.... Thats all we are concerned about.... hee hee. (canons are the bones between knee and ankle on horses Important for good conformation) And Tweed is just stylish.....

deb


Quote:

 

[aaggjg]

Okay so I took Popcorn's dud eggs away from her this morning and replaced them with 3 BBS Marans.... They are HUGE. She is a bantam so I was worried about giving her too many more.... I also want to stick a silkie egg under her tomorrow ... She had 4 eggs under her before and seemed fine but they were smaller eggs! Of course I was staring at my GLW this morning wondering when she would go broody as she is so much bigger and I could put a ton of eggs under her!!! I had to put the rest of these in the incubator ....

 

[aaggjg]

Well the inevitable happened - Topsy went out to grab a quick bite, have a little drink and drop the obligatory stinky poo - then she hustled back to the nestbox. But upon returning to her nest - she found her nemesis Smokey contentedly sitting atop her eggs. So Topsy did what any self respecting broody would do - she moved to a new nest with no eggs, just a pingpong ball in it! She promptly sat down on the pingpong ball and nudged it under herself to the best possible hatching position.

I felt sorry for her so I retrieved two of the LO eggs from under Smokey and put them under Topsy. I'm hoping one of the LO eggs will be fertile since the Silkie roo is on one of them quite often. I'll check in a couple of days to see if developing. I candled her eggs again and I know her eggs aren't fertile because they look like the 3rd picture of just the yolk in this person's blog http://blog.katherineplumer.com/2006/04/6-days.html and I didn't see the rooster get on her at all.

I see that she's commited to sitting now - she just doesn't want to do it in that little area I picked out. But I'm still in a holding pattern as far as what to put under her - I don't want to buy a dozen eggs - bantam or LF - because she can't hatch that many and I don't want to do it inside the house. I don't even want to buy half a dozen - although I suppose I may have to. I'm sort of sorry I got rid of my LO roo now - he could have helped out with fertilized eggs. Oh, well - I figure I have about a week before I have to decide as she just started sitting 4 days ago. What to do, what to do...

Oh no that is so sad .... Poor Topsy. I'm glad you broke down and bought her some eggs