All in a pickle!!!

[RedThorn]

Try your local breeders.... mine will sell eggs and if they're boys, she takes them back.... perhaps an easier solution?

[elizajay]

I knew mine would stay broody, because they had been broody for months the previous year. I tried to separate the broody, but she went home at the first opportunity, so I just put the eggs under her at home. Apart from the other hens trying to add eggs to her clutch they didn't cause any problems. the mothers do gain street cred with the others.

[di]

Well...may you all be the first(ish) to know...Having spent several hours in the pouring rain,making up a little broody coop & run(the rabbit one had had it!)this afternoon...Marigold may or may not be mummy to 3 Dark Brahmas(sc),2 Maran cross,1 Norfolk Grey & 3 Buff Orpingtons!!!...She's a very big gal & the chap we got them from assured us she'd manage at least that many...possibly even 12,but we settled with the nine!
I am soooo sooo hoping none of the DB's are cocks...Daddy was such a beautiful bird,really think I'd struggle to part with one of them!
So fingies crossed!!!...I feel just like I did when I was pregnant...without of course the cravings & morning sickness...want to be all excited,but far too apprehensive that it may all go wrong!
Thankyou again for your advice....and rest assured I'll prob be here panicking on a fairly regular basis!

[lynda66]

oh not you too lol ..... ok i'm officially extremely broody .... fingers crossed for a good hatch

[di]

Sorry!!!....and what I said about not having morning sickness...think I've got the "worry" equivelant!...My God...How did I ever go 9 months???...twice!

[MaureenHall]

Wonderful news Of course you're going to keep us regularly updated aren't you So somewhere around May 7th we'll be waiting for piccies of pipped shells and new hatches then?

[di]

Popping up there shortly...but got a bad feeling...when I went up this morning she seemed to have lost all interest in becoming a mummy!...feel a little deflated,but was actually more prepared for failure than success,...we'll see....maybe back later with slightly more positive news?

[di]

What a day!!!?
Basically she really didn't like her broody coop bless her!(and after I worked soooo hard making it in the rain!)
Got some advice from some of the chaps with chicken know how & tried several different things.As long as she was in that coop,she wasn't going to sit on the eggs!As soon as I gave up & popped her back in with the others,she was there,hogging the nestbox*feathers all fluffed up!(*they have four but all choose to lay in the same one!)
One chap said he'd check with a friend who's got incubators,to see if he had room for 9,but fingers well & truly crossed,my latest plan will hopefully be OK...I've sectioned off the back of their coop...they never use it anyway...and she's sat in there...and finally accepted the eggs!

Two biggie questions...The eggs were out all night & most of today without being sat on...the chappies at the lottie said they should still be fine...it would only be a problem if they'd been warm for a couple of days prior.
Also...I know you should leave eggs to settle for 24 hours before trying to hatch...well,she was pushing & rolling & getting quite agitated by them today & then I had to move them...should they still be viable or might it be advisable for us to get another three to sneak under her?
Although I'd be thrilled if any hatch,I don't really hold out a lot of hope...but looks like the games not over yet!...God I need a drink!

[Nicos]

Don't touch the eggs..just leave her to it..she may well fail...but she too needs to learn from her mistakes ( unless you spot something awful!!!)

good luck!!!

[di]

Thankyou Nicos!

Guess just how excited I am!!!???

just got a phonecall from the chap we got the eggs from...he'd seen an advert for Legbar eggs...Had a long chat with the lady that sells them,she's assured me the ones under Marigold should be fine,but that there is deffo room for her to have another three under her just in case,so we're picking them up tomorrow...just in case she(Marigold)has rendered the first batch useless!...and double bargain/excitement is,that the chap(first one)has said if we want,he'll pop some in his incubator for us!SO!Getting three for Marigold & three for his incubator(I know that sounds so greedy,but I'm just being realistic about how rough Marigold was with the first batch today...I'll keep them under her but sneak in the other three whilst she's not looking!

[di]

Todays news!When I went to let the others out this morning she was still sat tight!(can't put into words howsick I felt going up there wondering if she'd still be on them!)
I think she just felt really anxious in a run/hutch all on her own.
We're going to pick up another couple of eggs this AM,just in case the first ones are no longer any good.
The bit I've sectioned off for her is about 3foot by 4 foot...only problem is she can't get outside...should I twice a day put her outside or will she be OK in that space for the duration?...I've put woodchip down & will also put straw & mix in some corn to try & encourage her to have a bit of a scratch about.
Where will she poo?...will it be on the eggs or will she get off for that?
This is gonna be a long three weeks!

[di]

Oh and another thing...woke in the middle of the night panicking about where her nest box is...about three foot off the ground.Is that OK?Will the chicks fall out?Should I move it to the ground now or just leave well alone until they hatch?

[Nicos]

My nest box was 9" off the floor- and one of mine fell out- and mom jumped out of the nest to protect it ( first born) leaving the eggs to go cold!
I put up a piece of cardboard across the front- about 3" high so chicks would have to stay in, but mom could get out to poo and eat/drink.
Next day no1 chick was balancing on mom's back and promptly tumbled off and out of the box
My farmers wife friend said- just make a nest on the floor underneath the shelf..and they were fine then...although one of the other moms decided she'd snuggle in with her and share the remaining eggs and help care for the babies

....In retrospect- they do better on their own with their eggs/babies shut away with them!

She told me to discard any eggs which hadn't hatched within 3 days of the first as the mom wouldn't be able to cope with all the different needs over those 3 day difference- ie still sitting and trying to teach the babies how to scratch/drink whilst some were able to half jump/fly away to areas not accessible to the youngest one.

Needless to say I left it 4 days..just in case..but poor mum wasn't coping too well! Selfish of me to be honest!

[Nicos]

All mine got off their nests for a HUGE poo and a drink and a wander round the garden for 1/2 to 3/4 hr
( at one point I thought the eggs would get too cold so I shoved them into my bra for a while

..the things we do eh????

[lynda66]

eggs do fine going through the mail, so a chicken messing with them will do them no harm, i think it was chicken slaves incubator that turned off and eggs got very cold bbut still hatched .... i'm sure they will all be fine