THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th.

[Arielle]

Yes one of the girls wont leave the nest. I had another broody one but she hemorrhaged and died abut 2 weeks ago. I blame myself for not letting her have the eggs. Now with another one, I'm going to give her the darn eggs! On the 22nd I should have 10 eggs for her, I just hope they're good ones.

Please don't blame yourself--maybe something else was going on. I have one broodie and she has been broody for weeks, the silly girl. SHe is rather comical, huffing and puffing up big and scary so we'll leave the eggs under her, courtesy of the other hens. I may relent and give her some marans. And when they are hatched, I will take them like last fall.

BO can be too fluffy for the rooster to complete his job. Take a scissor to the bum and trim her close about 2 inches around the vent. Of course, you'll want to do this to all the Orpinton girls.

 

[jandrusrn]

Javagirl?? If you'll take another newbie... I'm in. I just set 15 BBS Orp eggs today that I got from PiperOmar on BYC and they're just lovely! I'm a first timer.... so be gentle!

I know I'm a couple days early, but I really am hoping for something good. My girls in the yard have been given "the talk" about their new friends coming.... I think it's sinking in.

Always looking for some new input! Let the eggs sit till they were @ room temp today before setting them this evening rather ceremoniously. My big question... do I turn or not turn for a few days with shipped eggs? Grrrrr.... soooo many different answers.

Yay! I'm a part of something!! Mother's Day hatch..... Bring it. Jane

 

[Arielle]

IT is hard to know what to do . . . . so many opinions!

My first shipped eggs I put in immediately and laid on their sides. Only 5 hatched out of about 2 dozen. From 2 different breeders.

THis time I set turkey eggs upright in an egg carton to help the air cells get normal, and incubate in the upright position. 2, maybe 4, of 6 are developing.


I did turn my shipped eggs a hair, the thickness of a flattened toilet roll tube, put under one edge of the egg carton. ANd I turned 5-7 times a day for over a week.

From all I have read the damaged air scells need all the help they can get to get back into position at the top of the egg.

This is just my opinion, and my experience with 3 groups of shipped eggs.

 

[Cynthia12]

Tomorrow! I must get eggs tomorrow! Wait, it is tomorrow here! Just barely past midnight..time for bed..up early to get some eggs..that's all there is to it, they will come!

 

[crazypetlady]

My dh just bought me one of those old redwood bators, ii's 70 years Old and still works perfectly.

It has 4/6 trays with it that hold 100 eggs each. Dh wanted to know if he should build the other 2 shelves, lol. No I told him I'd be fine with the 4.

So this week I have been getting eggs shipped here. I have 4 dozen with 2 swaps on the way and another dozen from e- bay and then I will put in some of my own.

Java girl I can sponsor a contest and 6 give awY 6+ Serama eggs, oh heck I'll do another one for 6+ MF d'uccle eggs to you pick the contests.

Also dh got me some sq silkies this week from the same guy he go the bator from. Soon I'll have silkie eggs.

 

[karimw]

They are fresh eggs. I wasn't quite prepared for her to start sitting on the eggs (none were hers but belonged to my Golden Comets) when she did but I went with it, I trusted her instincts...she knows better than I do! I kind of just wanted to see at first what would happen. We had a bad storm one night and I think the girls in the house got scared and maybe had some "night fright" and the eggs were maybe jostled around too much. I found one broken the next morning and it was fertile. I'm prepared to help her more now. My dilemma now is do I seperate her or leave her be? I don't have many girls and the coop (aka the Pecker Palace per my sweet hubby) that I have now is very secure against the predators we have around here. I am just very hesitant to move her. Any thoughts?

I have never had luck moving broodies during the egg sitting phase, once they hatch I move them with their chicks to a safe place. With 10 broodies I'm going to have to do something though. My right hand is pretty well tenderized from reaching under them and pulling out the fresh laid eggs from the other girls. I have one that grabs and twists so I always do her first to get it over with quick!

My dh just bought me one of those old redwood bators, ii's 70 years Old and still works perfectly.
It has 4/6 trays with it that hold 100 eggs each. Dh wanted to know if he should build the other 2 shelves, lol. No I told him I'd be fine with the 4.
So this week I have been getting eggs shipped here. I have 4 dozen with 2 swaps on the way and another dozen from e- bay and then I will put in some of my own.
Java girl I can sponsor a contest and 6 give awY 6+ Serama eggs, oh heck I'll do another one for 6+ MF d'uccle eggs to you pick the contests.
Also dh got me some sq silkies this week from the same guy he go the bator from. Soon I'll have silkie eggs.

We need more pictures on this thread! How about some photo contests? Crowing roosters, the best "scruffy teen" look, Stink eyes, broody roosters, crazy places ladies lay, etc..

 

[AmyLou1782]

My experience is limited to 2 broodies that successfully hatched too many chicks. From what I have read a broody needs to have a secure zone for herself and the chicks, and since I was not set up to accommodate that I took the chicks and brooded them. THen the broodies went back to being hens. It is unfortunate that the eggs were jostled so badly; but some things are out of our control. It might not happen again. My last broody stayed on her eggs no matter how many hens squeezed in next to her, or on top of her, to give another egg to the cause. I did loose one egg and caused all the others to be covered with egg goo, and followed the directions of a BYCer to wash the eggs and return them to the hen. Didn't happen again.

Separate her if she can be kept very secure from predators; otherwise keep her in the main coop. And have other nest boxes available, if you don't already.

You may have better luck this time. Basic question--do you have a rooster to fertilize the eggs? You didn't mention a rooster . . . .

I have a beautiful young Old English game rooster, Clarence. He makes sure that all of the girls get they attention they deserve. Sometimes I think he even goes a little overboard! The box that my broody is in now is the favorite one for the other girls to lay in. I may try to see if she will sit on this new clutch if eggs in a different box this time. I am not set up to let her raise the chicks herself either. I have a brooder set up and ready to go if this new bunch hatch. She's done such a good job, I want her to at least be able to hatch some out!

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I hope I didn't offend you with covering the basics; rooster required for hatching chicks.

Sounds like you have a plan of action.

 

[AmyLou1782]

I hope I didn't offend you with covering the basics; rooster required for hatching chicks.

Sounds like you have a plan of action.

Not at all! I just hope my plan works! I'd love to have some chicks for Mother's Day!

 

[jandrusrn]

IT is hard to know what to do . . . . so many opinions!

My first shipped eggs I put in immediately and laid on their sides. Only 5 hatched out of about 2 dozen. From 2 different breeders.

THis time I set turkey eggs upright in an egg carton to help the air cells get normal, and incubate in the upright position. 2, maybe 4, of 6 are developing.


I did turn my shipped eggs a hair, the thickness of a flattened toilet roll tube, put under one edge of the egg carton. ANd I turned 5-7 times a day for over a week.

From all I have read the damaged air scells need all the help they can get to get back into position at the top of the egg.

This is just my opinion, and my experience with 3 groups of shipped eggs.

OK.... one more question then... if you're setting them "upright" with the air cells in the up position.... that means the larger end of the egg up, right? maybe a dorky question, but these are gonna be family members, ya know?