Sit'n on the porch

[Grandmas Coop]

Good morning,
Yesterday and this morning the morning rings with multilabel chainsaw buzzing in the distant, more toward Holly.
I cant see the Mt. this morning, there is ? fog/ clouds but it will be cooler today, up to 77ish by 4pm.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Get a LG Coffee, this is a long one------- I may have to open the thread on Raising Baby Chicks,,,, I hope you can follow this,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

@BDutch
I am not finding much on tending to broody, setting hens, I am winging it.

I have a small Welsummer that wanted to be broody last February but I didnt want chicks yet, but in May she was broody again so I said ok, you can sit on eggs.

On the 23rd I let her have 2 of the strongest, dark brown shelled eggs, on the 24th I gave her 2 more. Well on the 25th she broke one23rd's so I gave her on of the 25th's. so she had 4 eggs, She sat for a week, on the 30st I candled them and could see thickening,,, Well she then broke another one of the 23rd's, then another hen tried to move in and stepped on one of the 24th's Then she got off the nest for several hours, the 2 eggs left got cold and and I figured, ok this is over. that night she wanted to sleep in the nest, I left her.

On the 31st, she was more serious, So I gave her another chance I gave her the whole days eggs, 7 of them. I gave her a bigger box with nesting stuff in it, left a flap I could close so the other hens would leave her alone, She was fine, more serious / committed to the task. At night I closed the flap.

2 days later another hen went broody, OK,,,,,,

So I watched her#2, set on the days eggs from the 1st--- and at bed time, I let her set in the box with Broody#1 and gave her 2 eggs, and I put the "timeout cage " around them so the other hens would not push them off the nest. the other hens are much bigger than Broody#1.

Now, off and on for 6 days I would go in and have Broody #1 & #2 get off, drink and poop and eat,, we established a routine, #1 would drink, dig, eat, drink, poop, shake all her feathers vigorously, drink and jump up on the roost and groom herself, after about 5min I put her back on the nest. #2 she didnt poop for 3 days, she drank, ate a small bit, fluffed and I put her back.
One morning I found that #2 had in the night taken all but 2 of the eggs and pushed them under herself. No, I didnt want her to take all the eggs, so I gave her her own box, the smaller HD box, I didnt want fighting and broken eggs.

The rest of the flock harasses and runs after the broody hens, So for their protection I shut the door when I let them off the nest to eat. When #2 would get off the nest to eat she didnt seriously want to go back right away, I was worried she would let her 2 eggs get cold. So while she was out I put the 2 eggs under #1.
I dont let #1 out in the run, I put her right back on her nest with all 7 eggs, then I open the door and if #2 wants to run around she can , but the other chickens dont bother her as bad as they do #1. When she is done running around she gets in her nest with one of the fresh eggs.
Tuesday the 6th I knew we were going have a very hot day on Wednesday so I gave #1 a different nest, her own water and food, this way she can get up and down all she wants.

So to keep #2 broody she has one egg. Tuesday , I gave her one of the 31st's, and then when one of the hens laid an egg I took the 31st back, put it back under broody#1 and gave #2 the fresh egg, she was happy cuz she had an egg. And I did the same yesterday.


I know this is long and confusing

OK so, here we are today right now,
#1 is in her nest with all 7 eggs from the 31st ----#2 is on her nest with one egg from yesterday.
Also, When #1 gets off her nest Rooster hollers at me???????

I am going out to see if #2 has taken herself off the nest-- if #1 has gotten up to eat and poop ,, I doubt if they have its only 51 out.
At this point, the 7 eggs are 8 days old, #1 broody hen is on her own. When I go out I check to make sure all her eggs are tucked in, #1 knows what she is doing, I dont know if it may is safe giving #2 3 of the eggs from the 31st,,, We'll see haw the rest of the week goes. During the day I have to keep the other hens out of #2's nest - that's why she has only one fresh egg,,, I am not sure what to do next at this point...........

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Grandmas Coop]

@BDutch

Well I went out and very slick-aly took the previously days egg—- #2 sat without eggs until some new ones were laid.
DH and I did some work and when Rooster crowed I went to see what he needed. Well, #1 did get up and pooped and got back in her nest,,but she had rolled an egg out of the nest when she was getting comfy,, she is small and 7 eggs is a lot for her I think, so I gave #2 3 eggs, closed her box flap so the other hens couldn’t get in her nest.
That worked for a while, I don’t want the other hens to get in #2’s business.
After dinner I set them up for the night.
#1 is by the wall on the left and broody#2 on the right, she is a bigger hen.

#2 is not nice to #1, she pecked #1 on the head when they were eating, tried to run #1 off. We’ll see how this set up works for the evening, I really don’t have space for two different broody setups,,,

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Comfrey hanging, Chamomile is dry and in a bag until I can rub the stems down to get the herb off, Sage is on the table and Caraway tops are in the paper bags until the seeds fully dry,

sounds and looks like you have some work to do.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Porchers good evening one and all!

Temperature is in the 80s.

Keep us informed about the two broodys.

Have a great day!

 

[BY Bob]

official chicken question???
I read an article on fresh eggs day
She gives her egg shells to her chickens for calcium….
Have any of you done this and not created egg eaters.

Yes I do this from time to time. What they really want are yolks though.

 

[BY Bob]

How long can broody hen be off her eggs before the eggs won't be viable?​

@RebeccaBoyd can you help with this question?

 

[BY Bob]

Yup, I noticed that. And they feel... drier, I think. I was wondering if there was another reason.

Ok, now I don't have to worry that I'm doing something wrong if I don't. Thanks!

I microwave mine to dry them out. They also crush easier then.

Another use for old egg shells is to grind them in a coffee grinder until they are a fine power and then place the powder underneath tomato plants as you plant them. The extra calcium provided by the shells help to prevent blossom rot. It takes a lot of egg shells to make just a couple of tablespoons for each plant but it is worth it.

 

[BY Bob]

Ariel is that you?

Are you calling Daisy, the greatest hen ever, a mermaid?