Sitting Hen!

[Country Marans]

Hoorah! One of my blue copper marans is broody! She's still pretty young, (in fact, I had to remove the dummy egg from her clutch while she was up) and only been sitting for two days, but I'm really hoping that she'll go through with it. Is there anything I can do to help her along? It's been kind of hot out lately...

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Sure you can! Make sure she has easy, ready access to food/water in her nesting box. Make sure other chickens cant get in there and interrupt her. I would completely restrict access to her nest and open it up once in the morning so she can do her business then when she returns to the clutch place that gate back over the nest area.

 

[Country Marans]

Oh, okay. I kind of figured the 'no other hens' thing, because one got in there and stepped on an egg (her own, I suspect. Momma had a good hold on her five) and I've been watching the house for anyone to enter. She's been taking a noon break, too, so once I get a wall, I'll let her out then, too.

Another thing, should I put a fan up? Like I said, it's hot, but I have the pop-hole and a window open in the little 4x3 house.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Oh, okay.

I kind of figured the 'no other hens' thing, because one got in there and stepped on an egg (her own, I suspect. Momma had a good hold on her five) and I've been watching the house for anyone to enter. She's been taking a noon break, too, so once I get a wall, I'll let her out then, too.

Another thing, should I put a fan up? Like I said, it's hot, but I have the pop-hole and a window open in the little 4x3 house.

How how exactly is it this summer where you live? If the outdoor temperature is above 90 then she would like some air flow for sure during the day but not at night.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hoorah!

One of my blue copper marans is broody! She's still pretty young, (in fact, I had to remove the dummy egg from her clutch while she was up) and only been sitting for two days, but I'm really hoping that she'll go through with it. Is there anything I can do to help her along? It's been kind of hot out lately...

Its best to keep her separated from the rest for the duration. Just a small area is all she needs. A area that's shaded, has enough room for her to get off her nest to eat, drink and poop. NEVER put her food or water where she can eat and drink while setting on the eggs/nest. She needs to get OFF the nest to eat and drink so she will poop outside the nest. Feed at or in the nest will cause her to poop in the nest---for sure during the later/hatching days----a Nasty stinky Mess.

You should have collected every how many eggs you want her to sit on and place them in her nest FRESH---all at the same time when you removed the fake eggs---if you are allowing other hens to keep laying a egg in her nest that will cause a staggered hatch which can be and most times is a bad thing. Her eggs should be marked if other hens can get in her nest and you will have to check the nest EVERY day to remove the un-marked/fresh layed eggs Good Luck!

 

[Country Marans]

I marked her eggs the second day, there was only about five or so. I figure if I take out the unmarked eggs she'll keep laying, correct? Do I need to put some golf balls under there? I only have one dummy egg...

 

[Country Marans]

Okay, mamma hen has the house all to herself with a fan, last night I pulled any unmarked eggs out. I candled the eggs last night. All the marked ones were dark inside, one had an even darker spot im the middle that moved around when I turned the egg.... The shells were too dark to spot any spider webbing. Help?

 

[Country Marans]

 

[Country Marans]

Three!

 

[Country Marans]

Update: two hens and a roo!