Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

I have pictures and a story. Sally show this picture to your husband. Will post tonight. But had to post these two showoffs. Count is at 3 1/2. One hatching right now. Be back with pictures

That's a cute picture! Little RIR!!!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

First let me tell you about big broody. She is a huge BO. Big and slow. I don't consider my chickens "fat" but big broody probably is fat. Since she has been broody she hardly gets off of the nest. When she does she really has trouble walking. Her legs kinda give out on her. When she did get up she falls around inside the nest box trying to get her legs working and really struggles. For the past three days she has not got up. I figured she knew the eggs were hatching and was going to sit tight. I carried water to her and even hand fed her. She ate and drank like crazy. I figured poop would eventually make her get up but I also knew she had at least one chick who would have to survive her falling around trying to get out then back in. Thought about lifting her out then helping her back in. But they tell you let them do it their way. So again this afternoon I hand fed her and was hoping she would get up to poop. Well she didn't make it. She exploded in the nest box. And it was a mess. Chicks, hatching eggs, a huge pile of stinky poop, and a broody who can't or won't get out of the nest. I'll tell you what I did next post. I have pictures of her chicks too. I'll post it soon as I finish what i'm doing.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Good heavens, OK! It's a trial by fire. I mean poop.

Wonder if she has dislocated something or stretched tendons while sitting. Good thing she had some fat reserves since she hasn't been getting up!

 

[cheeka]

goodness gracious OK! I can completely picture it... Peach is tiny compared to a BO and her poops are way bigger than her eggs...

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Had to get the rest of the flock back in the coop for the night. They will mess with the broodys and eat the chiick starter i have out for the chicks. I will put them out again in the morning. Now back to the story. I didn't have any choice but to get that nest clean. Not to get too gross but broody poop smells horrible. All of my hens can go and if I walk in I can tell if a broody has been up to do her business. It is ......stinky. So I couldn't leave her sitting in the stinky mess with chicks under her. I reached in and got her on both sides and picked her straight up and out of the box and sat her on the floor. I found two chicks and either four or five eggs. One egg was hatching when I picked it up. (I have a pic i'll post). I sat the chicks out first and all of the eggs. Cleaned out the box and added fresh hay. Made a little depression in the hay to form a nest. Next I cleaned broody off as well as I could and sat her back in the nest first. Then she was pretty upset about the whole situation so I let her get situated and sat her chicks in front of her. That seemed to help calm her. Then starting with the unhatched eggs I gave her eggs one at a time which she tucked under her. Last I gave her the egg that was hatching. The beak can bee seen in the picture. I don't think the little guy missed a beat while all that was going on. I wanted the hatching egg in front of her so I gave it to her last. The chicks returned to her on there own. Just checked and she is tucked in with her chicks and eggs. Pictures next

 

[Sallysec]

Omg I am waiting for these pics...showed my hubby Roger...he smiled.....I need to find some Serama chicks at the upcoming fair. I ordered two or three faverolles from a man...he didn't have Mille fleur duccles yet....I hope BO is okay, can't wait to see pics. Jc needs a camera and OK and roger need a video camera web channel.

Watching the voice and waiting on BO pictures.

Cheeka, what do the soft shells you get look like? I kinda want to see one. The new girls had one egg that was smashed on the ground with no yolk. Never seen a soft shell.

 

[Sallysec]

 

[okallthis4eggs]

The hatching egg. Click on it for a better view. That is the little beak working in the center of the hole

 

[Sallysec]

Took the first set of pics, but I wanted to highlight the welsummers eggs...the more speckled one was yesterday's...today's was darker looking because the speckles are closer...isn't that cool? Obviously the blue floral print is one I did. Although I'm sure someone would ask me "what chicken laid that" I blew three of the eggs and decided to decorate Tommy's .

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Roger gave me my first RIR. Big broody gave me my first Delaware