I've gone and done it now

[frias]

Spotty, one of my ex-batts has just gone broody for the 6th time. As she's being really horrible to the 3 new girls I've decided to let her sit, just to give them a rest really. Anyway I asked my sister if she knew of anyone with some fertile eggs and I have 4 Wellsummers eggs coming tomorrow. I always said I would not go down this route as I know I can't deal with the cockerels but I've gone and done it now. Anyway can Wellsummers be sexed at birth? Are the cocks any good to eat? (not that I could) I've now gone into panic mode. My OH has already built a broody run as we had to seperate her before, due to her attacking the newbies. He now has to build her a suitable nest box so she doesn't stop the others going in to lay. Do I give her the eggs tomorrow then move her with the eggs? She laid today but is unmovable tonight and screeching at me so is probably ready to sit. Oh flip,I have so many questions. My only experience of hens is a few ex-batts.

[MaureenHall]

Well I've absolutely no experience whatsoever regarding broodies, so I can't answer any of those questions. Welsummers are sexable at hatching, the girls have a wider more defined dark triangle on their heads, in the boys it's narrower and more "fuzzy". The girls also have a dark line under their eyes, a bit like Cleopatra eyeliner Good luck

[Hilary B]

If you are going to move her, best do it BEFORE giving her the proper eggs to sit on (but might be an idea to give her something, even a couple of golf balls; she won't notice the difference). She is likely to be very fidgetty after being moved. Let her get over that, THEN add the real eggs!

[di]

Well,I've only the experience of one(plus one) broody,so maybe not brill for advice...but we did make possibly every error possible,so if you learn from my mistakes you'll probably do great!!!
Firstly,her nest box doesn't need to be anything elaborate...even a cut down cardboard crisp box would do!
If she's flying at you like a demonic chook possessed then a tip we picked up from a friend at the lottie is to pop on a thick(very thick!!!)glove on one hand...slowly approach her with the gloved hand & let her peck at it a few times,chatting calmly to her while you do so.Hopefully this will calm her down enough for you to pick her up.(if it doesn't then get OH to do it!!!)
I'd say after Marigold that you're best off getting her settled into her broody coop/nest before putting the eggs under her...Marigold was totally broody whilst sat somewhere familiar but as soon as we moved her became really anxious & couldn't settle.
Our biggest mistake was not dusting her down for mites...we thought their coop was clear,but seemed not!!!She had been loosing weight & getting an increasingly paler comb by the day...I put it down to lack of sunshine & food.Three days before hatch day she could handle it no more & abandoned nest...thankfully her sis had just gone broody so we gave her the eggs.Looking on the internet after,we realised just how lucky we were...a lot of broodies die from mite attack because they're so stubborn to stay on their eggs!Not telling you to scare you,just having come so close to losing her,I've seen the importance of prevention is better than cure.
Good Luck with it all...th e one thing that put us off hatchin our own was what to do with the cocks...we've found homes for most of them & those we can't we shall"donate" to a chap at the lottie!Seeing the lil chicks & watching them grow is sooo worth it all!Enjoy!

[RichmondHens]

1. Get the broody settled in her own coop before you put the Welsummer eggs under. Give her another couple of eggs to settle on (your hatching eggs will need to "rest" for a while anyway before you put them under) and then switch the eggs over. If you can find out when the Welsummer eggs were laid then you can put off setting them under until you are certain the broody is settled. They will be fine for up to 7 days from being laid.

2. Welsummer cocks make good eating. Not as heavy as some other breeds eg Sussex but full of flavour.

3. I'm interested by Maureen's comments on sexing the chicks at birth as I've always found it difficult. I can say that by 3 or 4 weeks you can definitely tell them apart though as the breast feathers come through as different colours - brown on a hen and black on a cock.

Good luck!

[frias]

She sat on nothing for 3/4 weeks last year so hopefully will settle in new coop. She's not aggressive with me other than fluffing herself out and screaming but if I insist she gets off the nest she runs off and takes her anger out on the new ex-batts. She was like this a few weeks ago and I sin binned her and thought she was OK. Until yesterday when she stared constant clucking again and today sitting. She's only just started laying again after the last broody session. I thought if I only get 4 eggs, the most boys I can get is 4 although it would be nice to get some girls I can keep.

[HayleyB]

Oh dear

[kirsty b]

I've got 2 sitting on 19 eggs which they are sharing!! Thankfully, the bloke who sold me the eggs said he would deal with any cocks for me once I had got them nicely fattened up!!

I think I would be ok eating them, but despite previously saying I could do the deed, I really doubt I could!!

[MaureenHall]

Fingers crossed for a good hatching Kirsty

[frias]

I think it's lovely when these broodies share. I'm still trying to work out how mine manages to get eggs out of the 2nd next box and under herself. I came back home with 5 eggs for her today as man who had them wasn't sure if all were fertile. He will take one cock back so I'm hoping the rest will be female. (If I get any that is.) Broody box will be ready tomorrow so hope she will sit in it. Phew, it's so hot I've had to make her drink today.
Good luck Kirsty. 19 ?

[kirsty b]

I was going to give them 6 each, but when I phoned the farm to ask about eggs, the chap said they could easily sit on 10 each, and he said it will allow for duds etc, and still give them a reasonable hatch rate. He did say his eggs this year have had a reasonable fertility rate - about 75% viable.
He has marans, light sussex and a few others up there, so the chicks will be crosses. The eggs they are sitting on range in colour from pure white, to blue to dark brown and his cockerel is a right handsome devil.

He has got a mummy duck fostering a gosling up there, well cute

[Nicos]

How exciting for you!!!!

[frias]

Well, Spotty is now in her own coop and sitting tight on the 5 eggs. She seems unwilling to get off the eggs at all so I have removed her 4 times today and she has had a little to eat and a dust bath but I haven't seen her drink which is a bit of a worry. She spent about 5 mins flat each time in the garden then raced back to the nest. Besides dusting her for mites is there anything else I should be doing? I gather the hatching, if it happens should be in 21 days time. This is going to be a very long 3 weeks!

[HayleyB]

She's a good little broody she'll be a clucky mum too by the sounds. Can you put water next to her so she doesn't have to move to drink in this heat she'll be needing loads of water, I'd worry for her.

[frias]

Spotty actually got off the nest herself today and wanted to get out of her run and be with the others. Had a drink, a dust bath, a quick peck at the grass and a huge runny poo then wanted to go back in to the nest. I gave her some corn which she ate but not sure if she is better having layers or what at the moment. Given that she is eating so little. I do leave pellets right by her and water but they don't appear to be touched.Also am I doing right by lifting her off if she doesn't come off the nest voluntarily?