Sdwd

[kathyinmo]

Oh, they are such sweet broody sisters, Nella! I love it when a family gets along well.

 

[speckledhen]

Wish mine would brood together. Sigh. Emily is in the broody pen where Nugget is used to hatching chicks so Nuggs can't be there. She is in the old ladies' coop on a high nest, the favorite of several hens, of course.

Check out some of the babies today: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6293854#p6293854

 

[kathyinmo]

At lock up time tonight ...... broody count:
Black Jersey Giant sitting x 3 days.
BCMarans sitting x 3 days.
Black Silkie #1 sitting X God only knows how long.
Black Silkie #2 sitting x 5 days.
SLW brooding 8 chicks.
Black Silkie #3 brooding 4 chicks.
BLRW brooding ..... nope, I took her 3 chicks away from her.

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
Wow Kathy!! Just when you were ready to turn your
bators off...you turned your hens ON

 

[PepsNick]

Nella, that photo is priceless!

So many broodies, Kathy.

Guess who just left? Jay!

But the evil one is gone, too!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Wow Kathy!! Just when you were ready to turn your
bators off...you turned your hens ON

I am about to pull my hair out with all these broodies! I have eggs collected for my last hatch, and my plan is to go ahead and incubate them and then slip a few chicks to the broodies. It has worked the last 2 times, so I hope it will work again.

Except my Jersey Giant... I am letting her hatch her own eggs.

 

[NellaBean]

Why not just let your hens hatch them? Save the electricity!

 

[speckledhen]

I'm with you, Janelle! Except for the logistics of having too many broodies at the same time, I'm all for the hen doing the work. She rarely has a power outage, right? Unless she's Emily and abandons the eggs on Day 16/17. Em is doing great this time, though. Hope she makes it all the way through.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Because I don't want to set them up in broody pens. I am leaving them in their own pen.

Hopefully, in 2 weeks I will have 3 more broody pens open and they can raise the chicks there.

 

[NellaBean]

I haven't moved my barred cochin hen yet. I havent marked her eggs yet either. It will be a staggered hatch as I plan to let her keep the eggs she has gathered the last few days and I'm going to add some nice big white leghorn eggs too.

I have my broody shed empty currently as I want to move it.....so the only brooder I have left is my little broody hutch that is stuffed in the back corner of the garage behind the mower. Guess I could drag it out and get it ready. Might as well since SPRING is here and i still have some of my best broody hens who havent gone broody yet (and others who will go again, no doubt).