The chicken won.

[bobbi-j]

After an entire week of trying to move or break my persistent Welsummer hen, I finally gave in. She's insisting on nesting in the 8-hole metal nest box. She wanted to be in the favorite nest in that box. I've moved her twice (at night) and she's left the eggs both times. I've thrown her off the nest several days in a row. She keeps coming back. So, today, I finally put some eggs in a different spot in the 8-hole box and she's perfectly content sitting on them. They are marked, so I can check over the next few days to see if anyone else is laying in her nest. She will be brooding and raising (if any hatch) her chicks with the rest of the flock. I also have a Buckeye that has been setting since Wed. She has been separated from the flock to keep others from laying in her nest. I'm leaving Tues. on a 2-week trip, so the chicks should be hatching within a day or two of my return. I will be candling Mon. night before I leave to see if there is any development. Here are a few pics:

The nest box where she insists on nesting. The lower right corner is where she started out, but that's the favorite laying place of the other hens. The hay was just put in there today because I had thought of setting her there, but changed my mind. The 3 eggs next door are part of today's crop. They will wait there until I lock the chickens up tonight and collect them all at once.


Her stubborn self. Should have gotten a picture of the stink-eye she was giving me...


The Buckeye who was content to sit on the first nest I tried to put the Wellie on. She's got a pretty good stink-eye going, too.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

Those are good pictures.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you!

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

You'll have to let me know how the girls do.

 

[bobbi-j]

Not sure if the Welsummer will hatch anything out or not. We left yesterday morning for an out-of-town wedding. When I came back this afternoon, she was out with the other chickens, and her eggs felt "cool". (It's 87* outside, warmer in the coop, I'm sure, so "cool" is a relative term. They felt the same temp. as eggs that hadn't been sat on.) She came back in the coop and seemed to have trouble finding her way back into the nest, so she could have been off as long as from yesterday sometime. I need to figure out a way to make it easier for her to get to her eggs. The roost bars on the nest boxes are broken, so I'll probably just have to replace those. I don't know if the eggs have died, or if they'll just be delayed. Time will tell, I guess. I'm going to candle Mon. night before we leave. We'll be home just in time for both hens to be hatching if anything is going to.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

I wouldn't worry too much. In the spring , our hens jump off the nest once a day. Grab a bite and a drink. Its pretty cool in the mornings during spring, and it doesn't hurt the eggs. There is no humidity from the hens body during that time , but it does give the egg fresh air that is similar to our forced air incubator.

 

[bobbi-j]

I know they get off once a day or so, but we were gone from yesterday morning until this afternoon. I don't know if she was off the nest since yesterday or not, and if she didn't get back on it last night or not.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't think the wellie is going to hatch anything. Today when I let them out, she was off the nest again, going out to eat and drink. Fine. They do that. When I went to pick eggs a couple of hours later, she was in the nest box, but not in the place where her eggs were. They were cool to the touch again. She was where she started over a week ago, on top of another chicken. I put her marked eggs in there with her just because, and am not going to do anything more about it. If this dingbat gets any babies, I will be very surprised. Hopefully the Buckeye will hatch something. I'm going to candle tonight. Leaving tomorrow for a couple of weeks. Grown sons staying here will be taking care of the chickens, but all I'm asking them to do is feed, water and pick eggs - not mess with the broodies. IF anything is to hatch, they should hatch a day or two after I get home.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

I hope you have a good trip. The wellie gets some experience under her belt she might be your best hen yet. I hope she suprises you when you get back.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you! I'll let you know if she actually hatches anything out. As I said before, I would be quite surprised...