[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi All,


      Snowy the serial Sussex broody has been paiently sitting on a clutch of blue Croad Langshan bantam eggs now for 20 days. These are my first home bred clutch from my little Blue cockerel Edward.

Although I have had bantams take 21 days to hatch, I have a feeling that these eggs are not going to. However, I often find that as soon as I decide some thing is not going to happen and decide to do something else this is usually a sufficient jinx to prove me wrong.

On this basis I have just set a clutch of eggs in the incubator and also decided to put a post on the site hoping to jinx my chicks into hatching.

I recon that if I ask you all how long you tend to give your broodies to abandon an unviable clutch before lifting her off and disposing of the eggs ( she is very determined so I'd rather she come to terms with it herself if possible ) then I will either have lots of interesting oppionions, sound advice and a happy hen OR all of that and a sufficient jinx to mack my chicks hatch. 

Buffy

[BlueDaisy]

Never had a broody, so can't comment.
But I like your reasoning!

[Fleecewife]

Is she talking to them?  Can you hear any little cheeps when you hold the eggs up to your ear?  Do they sound sloppy if you shake them ? those will be bad if you can.  We give them a few days beyond the due date and the broody has usually given up by then if they are non-viable. Hope you get chicks

[doganjo]

I haven't hatched many but each time they have gone over the recognised time, both in an incubator and under a broody hen.  So I'd leave them a few days yet.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks all,

              I keep listening for cheeps but cant hear any. She isnt cheeping to them but I have never managed to catch her doing it. I planned to give her the weekend and call it a day on Monday if nothing has happened.
             I will need to lift her off them in order to see if they are slopping around. In the past she has kicked the slopping ones out so if she still thinks they are worth sitting on I'm happy to go allong with her for a few more days.

              Fingers crossed.


Buffy

[Sylvia]

Banty eggs take 18-20 days to hatch, large fowl eggs 21- 23 days so maybe a day or so more will bring results. Cold weather or a sitting hen disturbed will delay hatching. Best to leave her alone, she knows best.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Sylvia,

  you are quite right of course and each time I pop to check on her (under the pretext of taking her a worm) she gives me that look which seems to say "why dont you go do something else and leave me in peace?"  I dont intend to lift her off in order to check them just yet as she will just get very cross and pecky with me.

 I'm just very excited to see my first home bred chicks and hope for her sake that her sitting has not been in vain.  I'm also keen to see her off the nest and eating again as soon as possible as she goes broody so often I have all on to getter back in to good condition before shes starving herself again!

Buffy

[Jonny]

Let us know if you get results!

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks guys you did it!

 this morning she was much more perky and alert and she was making a little noise in responce to the cockerel ( I think thats why she was doing it ) she had a little breakfast in bed (cheese and worm with boiled egg) but was still sitting tight. I thought that I could see some movement under her so I had kept popping back to check.

A little later I found a chick laying limp outside the nest which I thought she had rejected. I lifted it up as it seemed dead or very close to it but back at the house I decided to pop it in the incubator which was busy hatching some eggs. I left it to warm up and went back to check her again and this time a little blue chick was struggling to get back in to the nest so I helped it back in and banked the straw around the nest so they can all get back in and out again. The chick in the Incy finaly started to fluff up and once it could cheep I took it back out and popped it under mum again.

Just been out again and lifted her off, the blue chick is up and active, the chick that was limp is standing up and two chicks are breaking through their shells. I will be happy with 4 chicks from 7 eggs but will keep you posted.

I am so delighted with my first home bred chicks and really pleased for my broody that her efforts paid off

Thanks to you all for your jinx!
 
Buffy

 

[doganjo]

Very pleased for you, Buffy.  Is the nest a little too far off the ground or maybe not quite deep enough?  They don't need to be out of the nest for a couple of days at least so better to keep the sides high so they can't stray I think.

[princesspiggy]

id wait a good 5 days after there due date. if there is a chick inside it should feel heavier than an empty, also bad ones will feel/sound liquid inside. good luck

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi All,

 another blue chick has hatched and a third blue one is breaking out of its shell. The three remaining eggs feel full and are not slopping so you never know, they may all hatch over the weekend. The yellowy one that was limp seems fine now that it has been back under mum so I think I caught it just in time.




Buffy

 

[Sylvia]

Well done I hope they all hatch succesfully.

[nickif]

 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi All,

  as promised here is a pic of the recent arivals. The little black one with the featherd legs was the last to arrive and the lemon one was the one that I had to revive in the incubator. She hatched 4 out of 7 in the end which is a good number to keep warm at this time of year.

Cute eh?

Or am I just smitten...?

Thanks again,

Buffy