There will be a lot of people to tell you not to mess with the hen while she is sitting. I am going to give you a little advice, but you will probably already have read it in your trusty notebook, boy do I wish I had one. Should consider publishing it, and splitting the proceeds... Well anyway! Make sure she is coming out of the nest to eat and drink at least once a day. I had a dedicated hen who would not. She'd defecate in the nest she was so dedicated. I ended up having to take her out daily, sit her in front of the food and water. Other hens I am able to just set food and water near by, and they will get out and eat, drink and wander off to leave a pile of stinky poo! There is nothing like a broody poo. NOTHING! You'll see. Another thing, if you can section off her nest box and her when it comes close to hatching time... You might want to also mark the eggs that she is sitting with the date they are to hatch. This will make getting any fresh eggs from under her easier on you, and you won't have a pile of 20 odd eggs and no clue as to what stage of development they are in. She will abandon any eggs that haven't hatched after about three days leaving any developing eggs to die... SO, mark the ones she is sitting on now. Don't worry, chicken hickeys do not last long. LOL.
Candle at about a week along, chuck any eggs that have no development, then leave them be after that... Check them a day or so after hatch date. Look for any deformed chicks. Splayed leg, crooked toes.. that sort of thing.
All my broodies have been great mamas.. Well, one wasn't so great. She was a bit of an air head, then completely quit mothering at about 3 weeks. They'd follow her about, but soon enough realized she was a ditz themselves. LOL. But she raised them long enough. A heat lamp in the night kept them warm in their little coop. The cooped with another broody. Not in her nest box, but in the same coop.
Well anyway, we'll expect pics in 22 days. LOL
Candle at about a week along, chuck any eggs that have no development, then leave them be after that... Check them a day or so after hatch date. Look for any deformed chicks. Splayed leg, crooked toes.. that sort of thing.
All my broodies have been great mamas.. Well, one wasn't so great. She was a bit of an air head, then completely quit mothering at about 3 weeks. They'd follow her about, but soon enough realized she was a ditz themselves. LOL. But she raised them long enough. A heat lamp in the night kept them warm in their little coop. The cooped with another broody. Not in her nest box, but in the same coop.
Well anyway, we'll expect pics in 22 days. LOL
I have one like his, that I have to physically remove from the nest every day because she's like his is. the others, I don't. In fact one will spend wayyyy too much time off it. Just watch her good. It's hard for their bodies to sit like that anyway, and without food and water too.. well you can see where that's going.
I just found this thread and have not been able to stop reading. I am enjoying myself so much. I know you from the OT thread and I am so happy you've branched out on your own to give a bit of a different perspective. Sometimes when you've been doing something a very long time, you forget what is was like to be just starting out. So I want you to know how much I appreciate what you have to say. And...you have such a talent for writing. Makes me feel like when I read Little House On the Praire. I just love your family. Sounds like you have really good kids, so you must be a wonderful mom. I'll be following along and learning with you.
