Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Bradybertoch]

cool idea i should try it with my cortunix quail

 

[tamdeva]

Very interesting! I am going to also keep a watch to see how it goes. May try this next year. I have a styrofoam incubator but I am afraid to use it! Maybe I will do both and see what happens. Wishing you luck and keep posting updates for us!

 

[bdfive]

Very interesting!  I am going to also keep a watch to see how it goes.  May try this next year.  I have a styrofoam incubator but I am afraid to use it!  Maybe I will do both and see what happens.  Wishing you luck and keep posting updates for us!

Why are you afraid to use your styrofoam incubator. They hatch most eggs well. Get some chicken eggs and take the plunge. Follow directions and you'll do great. What kind is it?

 

[rlkern]

I've just been watching but this has been extremely interesting. Can't wait to hear how things eventually turn out.

Wish I could loan you my broody girl. I'm not wanting new chicks this year but one of my newbies has decided she wants to be a mama (buff orpington). And I had one of my barred rocks wanting to hatch some eggs as well a few months back. She was very young. The buff is coming on about a year old. She's sitting on ceramic eggs.

I've only had one other hen that went broody (another buff who has now been nicknamed "Mama Hen"). Didn't know what was going on (new at the time to the whole world of chickens but now going on 5 years I think) until someone said "she wants to be a mama" so I gave her some eggs to sit on and wouldn't ya know it - 1 baby out of I think 5 of 6 eggs (buff orp roo v. easter egger hen egg - a green one hatched). Turned out to be Pete who hated his father. Ended up losing him to some predator but he was a good lookin' roo. Mama Hen was a good mama though and diligent about her job.

May God smile on your efforts and bless you beyond anything you can imagine or think!!!

 

[Phoenixh]

Seems like a really great experiment. I'd like to know how successful it is. I live in WA state and have a broody hen, others pecked some of her eggs open, so I've moved her into the garage - she sits on the eggs (there's 10) - and three weeks into it we'll see if keeping her isolated will work. She hatched three, one lived before I moved her. I wanted better odds than that. Too sad to lose the chicks. I feed her normal pellets as well as grain and rice daily. She's not moving around other than to shuffle the eggs, but she didn't go out often when she was in with the other birds, so I think it's going well. Like you said, this is all done on faith that it'll be what it's meant to be. I'm hoping for ten healthy chicklets. ~~ Phoenix in WA ~~ Please keep us posted!

 

[ronott1]

Seems like a really great experiment. I'd like to know how successful it is. I live in WA state and have a broody hen, others pecked some of her eggs open, so I've moved her into the garage - she sits on the eggs (there's 10) - and three weeks into it we'll see if keeping her isolated will work. She hatched three, one lived before I moved her. I wanted better odds than that. Too sad to lose the chicks. I feed her normal pellets as well as grain and rice daily. She's not moving around other than to shuffle the eggs, but she didn't go out often when she was in with the other birds, so I think it's going well. Like you said, this is all done on faith that it'll be what it's meant to be. I'm hoping for ten healthy chicklets. ~~ Phoenix in WA ~~ Please keep us posted!

It is great to see this tread getting members that have been here for a long time with little posting to start talking to us!

Thank You!

 

[Beekissed]

I have yet in two years to have a hen go broody on me. I could learn a lot from you. This year, everyone just quit laying and started growing baby feathers, though, and so far I only have one girl laying. I suspect someone might try it this year. I'm wondering, If one goes broody NOT in the hen house(under a bush somewhere etc) should I just drop a dog crate over her to keep her safe? Can I move eggs (like moving her and the nest to a brood box up by the house) and still have her keep them? If one goes broody in the hen house, I plan to add her a couple of eggs and a curtain to make her space off limits(am planning to add split curtains for some privacy anyway).

If it were one of mine I'd leave her where she lays, especially if it were out in the bush...but I don't know your situation and how safe it is outside your coop at night. I have a trusty dog that would protect her~and likely steal her eggs if she got off them too long! ~so I don't have to worry about preds here.

I've moved broodies out of the main coop to brooding pen many times now and it's easy peasy when done at night under cover of darkness. Works great!

 

[1000yearoldeggs]

This experiment looks cool. I hope it works out for you.

I'd like to try the same with some quail eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm hoping it works out too! I just have a strong feeling and faith that it can if I can only work out the details of it. The new nest has stabilized in temps to a 99.5* in the water bag and the eggs are getting turned 2-3 times a day. The soil under the nesting material was wet down well yesterday and is holding that moisture well and on occasion, after I air out the eggs, I'll spritz the feathers over the eggs for a little more "body" humidity coming through the feathers.

I haven't run the vaporizer since the first time...too much trouble. Haven't played the broody song...will wait until I actually have chicks growing in there. Still using the broody pillow over the heating pad, more to seal in the heat and humidity than anything else.

Will candle on day 10 of Nest #2 to see if anything is successfully growing.

I am really loving all the response from people out there trying unconventional ways to incubate...I love the innovators of the world. And I love the cheering on....it really helps! You have no idea how it helps, as the first nest was a disappointment. I don't like experimenting with the lives of actual creatures and then killing them due to my inexperience...that's a real hit in the gut.

 

[1000yearoldeggs]

Yeah, I felt bad too when my incubator didn't do as well as I hoped. I don't feel as bad when I think of what would have become of the egg otherwise, though. Quail eggs taste good boiled.

But I am making adjustments to my incubator and did better on the last hatch, so hopefully I get it right next time. I think persistence is key.