OMG!! I have a BROODY!!! HELP!! PICS ADDED pg 4

[Damummis]

Checked Bell, she is doing fine. Noticed the food fairy put some food near her.

Have to ask the girls when they get home.

The next couple of days are suppose to be really cold. I am going to make a blanket for her. My question is......... If I use an old fleece of mine will it have the "puppy" effect? Will the chicks recognize me more so than if I use virgin fleece? Anyone test this?

 

[Damummis]

Bell is off the nest, eating, drinking and doing business.

 

[Scoop]

DD and I got our Java, Jenny, out of the nesting box this morning to eat and drink. I didn't think she looked good. So she quick ate and got a drink and promptly jumped back up to her box. I came back then and tried to hand feed her some bread but she wouldn't take it. I just left some in her box. We just have her sitting on 2 unfertilized eggs right now, until we can get fertile ones under her. I'll see if I can get a picture of her.

Damummis, I love your picture of Bell and her lovely nest! I hope they all hatch for you!

 

[Damummis]

I hope they hatch too. Weather has been great up till now. Sub zero tonight and tomorrow night. Hope all goes well. Bell isn't going for the blanket idea.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
When it's really cold I just insulate the nest box with things to help hold the hen's heat in. But not on the hen herself. Your set-up looks like an open-topped box, you could place a board across the top then lay a blanket, sleeping bag, even patio furniture cushions on top & around it for insulation. You could also add some straw to the floor, the hen may pull it close around her as she needs to.

And no, an old fleece won't have the "puppy" effect on the chicks, they do not have a sense of smell and won't associate it with you.

 

[rancher hicks]

she'll get off once a day and eat but won't stay off too long. don't worry she'll look like she's in a trance. I had one who went broody and by the time I moved her she had 6eggs. She's a bantam but she hatched all but one. 4standard and 2bantam. straw or hay is a much better insulating nest material.

 

[Scoop]

Rancher hicks you're right, my hen does look like she's in a trance! And her head is slightly downward so she kinda looks sick! But after I ripped her off the nest to eat she acted normal!

I guess I should just leave her alone!
Anyway, does anyone know how many eggs I can put under her? Is 12 too many?

When I was a child I saw a duck nest with 12 eggs and watched it intently until they all hatched. All 12 made it! I remember watching them marching single file behind the mother across our yard heading to an old quarry that was filled with water. So I'm assuming a chicken could hatch 12 also. I can bring her inside if I need to. I have a comfy cage and could put her next to our woodstove in the basement. She would be living high on the hog believe me!

 

[Bantimna]

How many day's till Belle's eggs hatch?

 

[Damummis]

17/18. Around Feb 17th. Coldest time of year.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

Quote:
I think my broody bantam Cochin must be living high on the hog then..... she is in a basket (so I can pick her and the eggs up to sit on my lap) on a blanket and the basket is on our recliner and there is a fleece throw that goes over the basket leaving a peek hole for her to look out. When she gets hungry she lets me know and I bring the food to her or she shares whatever I am eating (most recently ice cream sandwich). She really doesn't want me out of her sight. When she was little she suffered some sort of injury that left her unable to walk during which time she learned to wrap me around her toes. Eventually after a month or so she recovered and was able to join the flock for the last 6 months or so and act like a regular chicken.

When she went broody over a month ago after a few days I noticed her eggs kept disappearing so I moved her and her nest box into a cold unheated bedroom and left out food and water for her but didn't bother with her. Every few days another egg (I had put about 8 standard under her) was out of the nest and cold. I thought she was pushing them out but now realize it was because there was too much bedding in the box and they slid out. When there was only one left I moved her to the living room, to a box that wouldn't let eggs slide out and under a desk. With me in sight she wouldn't stay, but jumped up on my lap or shoulder, then nagged me to go get her egg. I figure this egg isn't going to make it, but when she wouldn't break her broodiness I put more fertile eggs in the basket and she hopped right in and has stayed there. She looks much better now too as before she had bad diahreah every day and her comb was pale.

I have a silkie sittin on 4 of her own eggs with a week to go who is acting in the regular broody manner. My experience is limited to a Japanese who hatched 5 eggs in Dec. The silkie now has her nest, a rubbermaid tub with a pop hole cut in the end and a box filled with hay inside.

None of my 3 broody hens (pullets really as they all hatched in april) has shown any bad temper and I have moved each of them more than once with no problem.