The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: gillandtom on March 23, 2009, 02:02:06 pm
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I think maybe one of our hens has gone broody. Percie wont leave the coop and sits in the nesting box all day even after you remove the eggs from under her. If I lift her out she just goes straight back up and resumes the same position. She is about 30 weeks old.
Any tips on what I should do to get her to stop or should I try find some fertile eggs from someone for her to sit on? ???
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I had one go broody late November and removed her from the nest box. She went into our Jack Russells's travel pen which has a metal floor. Cold to sit on, after a few days she was back to normal. :chook:
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If you keep moving her she will eventually lose the urge. If you do decide to give her some fertile eggs remember that there is a good chance you will end up with a few extra cock birds, which you will have to either re home, which can be difficult, or take the plunge and put them in the freezer once they start to be interested in the hens.
Kate :chook:
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We've got fertile eggs (at least we have two randy cockerels) if you want to set some under her.
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...... Well thanks to Rosemary I now have 9 of her fertile eggs sitting under Percie (as long as her 2 cockerals Hector and Hugo have been having their wicked way that is!!) I am sooo excitied. So wish me luck and watch this space to see what happens in 21 days!!!
;D
Gill x x
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continuing my series of "entry level" questions on the subject of chicken husbandry.........
I'm planning on getting some and will use the odd egg (most will be given away to neighbours) and also breed them so i've got a supply for the pot.
I'm not planning (initially anyway) to try artificially incubating and hatching the eggs, just gonna leave the chickens to do their thing.
i'm assuming if i go down each day to collect any eggs, if there is no one sitting on them, then i'll take them, but if someone is still in there, then they can keep them.
I assume that once a hen goes broody she'll stop laying and sit on the egg, turning it as required. Or will she continue to lay and sit on the accumulated eggs - and if that's the case, will she stop sitting once it's hatching time?? leaving a few unhatched eggs - that i might have to manually incubate until hatching time.
cheers
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I usually go for incubation rather than hatching so my experience is limited to 3 hens. In my limited experience the hens lay eggs, other hens go lay in the same place, the broody hen sits on loads of eggs. The ones in the middle hatch, the ones on the outside dont as she cant brood them all. Once she is "sitting" she does not lay any longer. You could leave her with 6 and put the rest in the incubator, t hen when they hatch stuff them under the hen (sorry not a technical explanation). Hen will bring them up (as ours with the ducks) until they are old enough to fend for themselves when she will toddle back to the coop leaving the chicks to go their own way.
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If you leave eggs under a broody remember to mark them, then you can remove the others laid subsequently knowing they haven't been 'started'
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6 of Rosemarys are blue and the other 3 are a deep brown so there will be no mixing these ones up. x
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Good luck Gill, Tom will soon have a full freezer!!
Jim
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Only if he's allowed to!
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Just as well we dont own a freezer then - Oh well we will just have to keep them! ;D
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.... 21 days is up today!!! If they are going to hatch will it be today for sure or can they go a few days over like us?
Nothing so far but it is only 730am. I just know I am ging to be in there every half hour today checking. Fingers crossed!!!! ;)
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They can go a couple of days over. My fingers are crossed too. As are Hugo's 'cos if he fails this time he's lunch!
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They can go a couple of days over. My fingers are crossed too. As are Hugo's 'cos if he fails this time he's lunch!
Hugo is safe - I can see a tiny beak!!!!!!!!! ;D
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Gillian, are you just sitting there watching them? I saw the brooder coop that Rosemary has ready for you. Well done, looks like you'll need it by the weekend! ;D
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Gillian, are you just sitting there watching them? I saw the brooder coop that Rosemary has ready for you. Well done, looks like you'll need it by the weekend! ;D
.... Well Annie - when you have 2 little girls aged 5 and 2 - this is the most exciting thing ever! We are all just hanging out in the garden with our new puppy today checking for developments every now and again.
One Cream Legbar is now totally hatched and hiding under Percie no sign of any siblings yet..................
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ooh, exciting times! Photos coming soon i hope? Puppy too!
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We think its a girl - Well she had better be as my kids have called her Daisy!
.... Cant figure out how to add photos - here is a link to you tube. x x
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3P6HvNo8_k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3P6HvNo8_k)
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How Cute!?!
You've even got me and Mrs Womble feeling broody now ;). Hopefully only another couple of weeks and we'll be ready to get some hens of our own though :chook:.
Glad Hugo's off the hook too! ;D
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Thats amazing, well done!