Marigold on eggs.

[di]

For any normal person it probably is!...I do tend to worry a bit!
If we'd been a bit more prepared then things would possibly have been a lot easier,but once she went broody we were advised toget eggs under her ASAP,in case she got fed up half way through.
IF(very,very big IF),we were to let her sit again,then I'll make sure she's got an enclosed coop/run actually in with the others but where they can't get at her...the huge thing for me is the fact she can't get outside without being picked on....hopefully today that will all change!

[Hilary B]

It often works best to move a broody away but if you do, you should give her a couple of days to get used to the new place before giving her eggs. If she is going to change her mind, speed in getting eggs won't help, unless she had already been broody for some time before you spotted her.......

[RichmondHens]

Hi Di - Sorry have been out at a game fair all day and not long been back and then doing on phone chick advice to local person worried about her chicks.
Firstly, I would not let other hens have access (including sis). They will all get back together again when mum hen returns to main flock when she is ready. Broodies generally are ready to leave chicks and lay again when chicks are about 6 weeks old so Marigold can be reunited with the other hens and you can raise the youngsters separately as they continue to grow. Introduce them to main flock when they are a good size (at least 4 months) to avoid them being picked on (although there will always be a few days of this to establish the new pecking order). At this stage you will then have to make a decision about the cocks and what you intend to do with them if you haven't already separated them. Sorry I'm rambling and not really answering your question - moving the little family when chicks are v small will be fine, to different accomodation etc.
Re delousing, check her first. If she doesn't have any then don't worry too much, but I tend to do mine anyway. Do it at night, with a powerful torch and lift her off the eggs firmly grasping the legs with one hand and inspecting/powdering with the other (you will have to enlist a helper to hold the torch or prop it somewhere where you can hold the hen in the beam), then put her back next to the eggs and allow her to settle herself back on the nest. If you put her directly back on top she may break the eggs if she struggles so I always put a hen next to them and allow her to sort herself out. When it's dark they are much more docile and easy to handle (even the feistiest of hens).

Sorry haven't taken any pics of my most recent hatchlings and I'm rubbish at technology - have hatched some eggs belonging to my 7 year old "top bantam" in case I lose her (to Mr Foxy or anything else) plus a couple of Araucanas and one Light Sussex that I slipped in at the last minute. Have some 4 week old Welsummers (LF) too. Another bantam has hidden herself in a bramble patch surrounded by nettles and as I have run out of broody coops I am leaving her to chance. She is on 7 eggs but they will be cross breeds. By the time they come off they can go in the Welsummer coop as the Ws will by then be big enough to free range with my bantam flock.

[di]

Thanks RH.We'll check her over this evening!

[di]

Sorry,it's not a brilliant piccie,but it was so lovely watching her rolling around having an undisturbed dustbath.We can only let her out in the arvo...once the others don't need access to the nestboxes(although her bit is separated,the only way out for her is through the main pophole),but I'm so much happier now that she can have a hald hour fresh air & roll around if she wants it!

[Nicos]

Looks like she's enjoying herself!!!

[matthew2riches]

In picture 2, the other chooks look jealous. I think they want their photos taken as well?

How are the eggs in the incubator doing?

[di]

I think they're more disgruntled that I had to turf them out of the best dustbath in the run to give Marigold a turn!....Oh & the fact that I'd taken her in a nice fresh turf of grass!....once she'd had her time they were back in there though....and the turf of grass lasted all but five mins!
I "think" the incubator is doing well...I'm finding that the warmer the weather outside,the lower the temp drops???Is this normal?...Unless it goes below 35 or over 38 I'm leaving it alone...most of the time it is 37....don't think my nerves will let me do it again!...If they went in Sunday at 11:00am...does that mean that day one would be the Monday?...should they hatch on a Sunday or Monday?
We had a sort of try at candling...torch & tube method we found on the internet...they kind of looked like eggs!!!...guess we'll just have to wait...just a little panicked about one of them exploding...do you get any warning???

[RichmondHens]

Can't help you with the incubator - mine is an automatic R Com so does it all. I only have to top it up with water every 4/5 days. So far it's hatched 100 % each time (I've had it about 18 months).

If you set the eggs on a Sunday then they should come off on a Sunday. You will probably see signs of pipping (shell cracking and cheeping) on the Saturday though. I must admit I am inclined to start picking them up and listening to them about 2 days or so before they hatch, both from the incubator and from under hens. You can sometimes hear they chick tapping inside, up to two days before hatch day. Just be careful not to jiggle them. Keep all movements smooth and steady. It's very exciting. Hatching chicks is a magic you can never tire of.

[di]

Thanks RH!
Must admit I'm starting to get just a little bit excited now...although still too scared that none of them will hatch to be properly excited!
Marigold is still doing great!She wanted to come out today as soon as we got there...as Dandelion(her sis)was still in the coop laying,we had to let her stay in,turned out really nice for them both...call me sappy,but I really thinkshe's been missing Marigold!They had 20 mins or so in the enclosed bit together...admittedly M was more interested in doing her thing,but Dandelion seemed to have a little catch up with her!
It's stupid really,but I spend the whole time she doesn't come out worrying that she should,then the first ten mins of her being out,loving to watch her bathe/scratch about & eat for England....but once ten mins is up I'm panicking that she's not going to go back on her eggs!...poor gal can't win!!!But so far she's doing such a grand job!...just sooo hope she has babies to enjoy at the end of it....which once the weekend is done we're already on Tuesday & then before I know it will be Friday!:
Although we're prepared for rearing the home hatched chicks(if they hatch)at home,our plan is that if not too many of hers hatch & more of ours do,then we'll pop them under her at night...have been told this should work???Anyone with any experience or advice over this?Also...if hers do all hatch...or even a highish proportion of...is it possible for a previously unbroody hen to "adopt" chicks?(Dandelion!)We've been told by a few peeps that a hen won't harm chicks if introduced as day olds?Truth or myth?
Obviously we want to do what's best for them...if it's rearing at home til they're ready for the big world then that's what we'll do,but if there's a strong possibilityof a chook being mum,even though I'd actually kind of begrudge giving up the job,then in my eyes that would be best.
Sorry for another rather long waffle!Just got so much floating around in my head,it would be handy to get a bit of advice.
Cheers!x

[RichmondHens]

Hi Di - Glad Marigold still sitting tight. Presume the incubator is set to hatch the same day? You should be able to introduce the incubator hatched chicks under Marigold as long as she already has hatched some of her own. When they come off in the incubator I leave mine until they are almost dry and showing steadiness on their legs - usually takes half a day. Then you can shove them under. The hen is more likely to accept them at night when she can't see them but I will pop mine under at any time if I know a particular bird is v good. Take one of the hen's own chicks out for a moment or two, then return it and another chick (from the incubator) at the same time, or you can shove the new chick straight in if she is a placid mum. Just keep a check for an hour or so to make sure hen has not rejected it or it has got out from under her and not found its way back. By the way, is she a big enough hen to cover all her own chicks and extras? How many chicks in total are you expecting? You probably won't be able to get another hen to foster them - they have to have been broody for at least two/three weeks - and certainly not an unbroody one. They will reject them and possibly kill them.

There are pros and cons to hand rearing, but you do end up with v tame chicks, which is lovely. My 3 hand reared ones from last year used to sit on my knee in the kitchen and be fed pieces of apple. I still have the hen and she is just as tame a year on although no longer allowed in the kitchen! I can just walk out in the field and scoop her up like a cat! The cocks we fattened for the pot. Happy hatching!

[di]

Looks like if we get a good hatch rate then I get to play mum after all!!!
Marigold is a rather large girl,but if all of hers hatch I don't think she'd have room for any others!
I guess we just have to wait til hatch day & make our definite plans then,when we know how many.

[bluemoon]

A stupid question, sorry, but if you allow a broody to hatch the eggs are you not able to handle/tame them as you would incubator hatched ones? I know you'd have far more contact with the incubator ones, so it would be easier, but I thought that as long as you spent a fair amount of time with your birds broody reared chicks would become tame. Does any of it come down to breed? My two Silkie X Sussex (8 weeks old now) are lovely and friendly, we've only had them a week and they were reared by a broody on a poultry farm so I wouldn't have expected them to have much human contact prior to them coming to us.

[di]

You probably won't be able to get another hen to foster them - they have to have been broody for at least two/three weeks - and certainly not an unbroody one. They will reject them and possibly kill them.

Would a week be long enough???...guess what we got?!
Just as I thought we'd finished stressing & started to relax a bit.....Darling Dandelion decides to follow in her sis's footsteps...except I think she's gonna be a lot more tricky to move...VERY protective!...just came home for both advice & some long sleeves!!!
NICOS!!!I need you!!!!xx

[Nicos]

I'm here love!!!