Setting eggs 4-3-14

[Alaskan]

I ran out of incubator space, but just by 5 banty eggs! I kept trying to stack...not sure how people manage, but I couldn't figure it out.

So,

I decided to use a hen that I think is broody....

I don't have a good spot to set up a broody outside, so I thought that I would sneak her into the house (spouse is a bit anti-chicken), and set her up in a spot that the spouse never goes, in a very big dog crate. Well, she got excited about the nest of eggs that I gave her in the dog crate I set up, and sang the egg song, IN THE BATHROOM! SO LOUD!

How often do broody hens do that?

I rather wanted the broody to remain a secret.

I sure hope she isn't 'broken' because of the move, this is actually her first time brooding, which is why I wanted to keep her in the house where I could check on her a jillion times a day.

 

[Henny]

That is just too funny for words!!

From my experience the broody hens are usually quiet. I think you are supposed to move them at night so they don't get all flustered. Hope the hubby doesn't use that bathroom!!

 

[Henny]

Maybe it might help if you try to make the room as dark as possible for her and cover the cage until she settles down till tomorrow?

 

[Alaskan]

Actually, after that first very loud song, she has been quiet, thank goodness!

I am not sure if she really wants to settle back down and brood though.....

I am hoping that a day in the cage with a nice nest full of eggs (clears, until I know she will brood), will get her back in the mood... I will go check on her now.

I just really though that I would be able to stack.... but I can't figure out how..... Even with cardboard collars etc. to stabilize, how I can stack, AND still turn the eggs.

 

[Alaskan]

Just checked, whew! She is setting on the nest, very nicely!

So, i put the five bantam eggs that I simply couldn't fit into my incubator, into the incubator, but stacked....i simply will not rotate for 4 hours, then if she is still setting, I will move some eggs from the incubator under her, and start rotating my incubator eggs again. (Those last five eggs had arrived yesterday, so still good, but they really need to be started)

WHEW!

So much work! I sure hope this works out, and she cooperates, I know it is a lot to ask, moving her and poking at her. Luckily she is used to my kids grabbing and snuggling her all of the time, so she is taking all of the new things in stride!

Less than two weeks and I will have CHICKS!

 

[Henny]

Yay!!

 

[Madeare]

I am expecting baby chicks any time now. Lucy began setting on the 1st of April and Tomorrow will be day 21. I have seen several of you mention lock down. I only have the two Bantam hens and this is really my first experience. Both of the girls are setting in the same box. Tiger has 5 green eggs and Lucy has 11 white. Should I separate the eggs into different boxes. I tried to look at the eggs this afternoon and that little Tiger pecked me.

We had to take the rooster across the lake and back to my brother because since the neighbor put up a large street light in his back yard our little RooRoo began waking at 2 am and crowing until the sun came up. My brother was happy to have him come home because he is so beautiful.

My son in law worked all day on the parts of the new coop. It will be wonderful for the chickens. It will definitely be "The Hilton". My sweet son in law is a perfectionist. H is building the four sides at his house and will join them here. I am excited indeed.

 

[Alaskan]

If you have the hens doing all of the work, then there isn't anything for you to do.... At least not really.

I have read that there is the rare broody hen that pecks her hatching chicks to death.. Rare, but it happens. I would try to be there when they hatch, just to make sure everything is going smoothly.

The other things to watch for:

- sometimes an inexperienced broody will get off of the nest after a few have hatched, and not wait for the rest to hatch.

- if she is up in a box, off of the ground, you need to make sure that the chicks don't fall down or get caught somehow.

- if she is brooding in the coop, sometimes after the chicks hatch, the hen will decide it is time to start sleeping up on the perch, but the chicks can't follow her up there yet, so get chilled.


However, since tomorrow is day 21, I wouldn't do anything right now, that might bother her. Just check on her off and on tomorrow if you can.

 

[Dcat]

Still waiting as patiently as possible, lockdown is later this week and I'm desperately trying not to candle the eggs too much, sigh. It's soo hard! I'm trying to wait till lockdown to candle one last time and mark air pockets. Temps have been pretty steady, humidity is where I want it and will just need to boost it up at lock down. I added three duck eggs three days ago but I have a feeling that if they were fertile they might not do anything anyway. The lady I got them from washed them and I have no idea how she really did it. Three call duck eggs and I hear they are difficult to hatch so we shall see. She has some runner ducks that I would lovelovelove to try. Daughter is worried about not turning the duck eggs but I believe they will be fine, if nothing else I will turn them on the first day of lockdown and then leave them be till the chicks are hatched.
Coming down to the finish line and I can "feel" myself getting antsy and anxious, LOL.

 

[Soon2Bchickymom]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to jump in on this thread so last minute. I set 6 eggs on 4/2/14. This is my second hatch. But this time I am incubating them in my daughter's preschool class. The kids have LOVED being a part of the whole process with turning the eggs and getting to see when we candled the eggs. We are in lock down and hatch time is fast approaching, I am getting crazy anxious and nervous and I didn't realize how crazy it would make me to not have them here at my house where I could check on them every 5 minutes! lol Anyways, just hoping for a good hatch for the kids (no matter how many times we have told them that they may not hatch, at 5 years old it's just not a concept that they grasp.) and for me! I am excited to add a few new fuzzy peeps around here.

Good luck on all your hatches! Looking forward to some pictures!