Are ex-bats supposed to go broody?

[MaureenHall]

How's the mum-to-be doing Snadger? Got any tips for us wanna-be's yet?

[Snadger]

How's the mum-to-be doing Snadger? Got any tips for us wanna-be's yet?

Well, it's day three in the Big brother house.......................... and she's sitting tight after the initial mishap of trying to move her!

[MaureenHall]

When's the "due date"? You can tell I know nowt about brooding/hatching/rearing little chicks

[Snadger]

When's the "due date"? You can tell I know nowt about brooding/hatching/rearing little chicks

Well now lets see.......eggs went under broody on 17th Sept..........It supposedly takes round about 21 days to hatch them which by my reckonning gives a birthday of Oct 7th methinks!
Poor girl has never moved off the nest even though water, mixed corn with added grit and cabbage leaves were close at hand. Today I broke up some swede tops which are their favourite into pieces and put them close to her along with some corn. Bless her, she ate a bit of corn and had a bit peck at the greenery. If I don't think she's been out for a drink by tomorrow I'll probably have to rig something up on her nest close by, but I don't want her spilling it and soaking the nest! Any ideas on what to use?

[lynda66]

how about a rabbit drinking bottle? she just has to peck the ball to get water, and it stops as soon as she does, most animals get the hang of them, and they are only cheap to buy, not sure what else to suggest, unless they do something similar for birds??

[di]

Could you not just weigh down a little bowl of water with some heavy stones?

[MaureenHall]

I hope somebody can suggest something to get her eating and drinking! What about my old stand-by of warm mash? A dish of pellets mixed to a mush with warm water. It can be made sloppy enough for her to get both food and water at the same time but solid enough so that if it gets knocked over it shouldn't soak the nest? You could mix in some corn and greens with it too.
Re the due date of October 7th, that's a really good day to be born I was born on that day

[Snadger]

Could you not just weigh down a little bowl of water with some heavy stones?

Thats my plan for today if she still hasn't moved!

[Snadger]

Well........she had been out for a poo at some time, I'm glad to say, as it was a reet stinky one.

Gave her some water in a small yorkshire pudding tin where she was sitting and waited until she's drank it all greedily. Her main drinker is only two foot away but she hasn't bothered with it. When she'd finished I filled it up again and left it as she seemed as if she'd had her fill.
Strangely, even though I've given her mixed corn and grit she has left it and instead eaten some layers pellets, so I added a bit more to her feeder. I didn't give her any greens today as her poo was a bit runny.

I seem to have aquired a few ants in the chook house which I thought the chooks would have polished off? I sprayed them with a week solution of armillatox that I use for cleaning purposes but if they return in numbers I may need to put down some ant powder Luckily they aren't anywhere near my broody, who is now named Tush!

[di]

Good to hear she seems O.K!I have absolutely no experience with broody/hatcher hens but am assuming she won't need to eat as much as normal as she's neither exercising nor laying?

[MaureenHall]

How's Mrs Tush doing Snadger? Still sitting on the eggs? How have you managed to get her to eat and drink? dying to have an update!!!

[Snadger]

How's Mrs Tush doing Snadger? Still sitting on the eggs? How have you managed to get her to eat and drink? dying to have an update!!!

Yep she's still sitting tight! She'd been out for a few layers pellets but hasn't touched the corn.
No stinky poo's either, probably because she aint ate enough. The small water bowl I put right next to her beak was untouched, so I've taken it away believing that if she has had a small meal she's probably had a drink when she was out. Gave her a swede leaf to munch on again but feal really sorry for her sitting there day in, day out! I suppose it's only natural and I hope for her sake as well as mine she has something to show for her time on the nest.
I have heard that it really takes it out of them and wish it was all over so she could get back to being a normal happy chook, albeit with a family of baby Tushes to support!

[Pumpkin Becki]

This is more interesting than 'The Archers' Snadger - I can't believe she's still sitting tight!

[JILLY JACKSON]

Hi snadger,exciting times.Not sure how you've got things set up but once the chicks are hatched if you want to move her,she will go wherever her chicks are ,you'll have no problem.

[SarzWix]

Chickens aren't something I have a great deal of experience with, but I've read that sitting hens should be removed from the nest once a day, morning or evening, to be fed and stretch their legs, and put back in the nest after no longer than 10 mins so the eggs don't go cold.

The Poultry Club - Welcome to our Website - Hatching
There's some useful info on here And 'the other' magazine has a really good chicken section which was on about broody hens a couple of issues ago.

Good luck with them, I'll be waiting with fingers crossed for hatching news