My Marans eggs!

[Nicos]

OK- last week I'd decided to leave things for a while...until yesterday

..well- how can you drive past a field full of white Marans and black Marans???

- yup- came away with 6 massive fertile eggs ( about 85g and really dark brown)
Apparerntly both colours lay the chocolate colourd eggs, but as they run with 7 cockerels , the peeps couldn't guarentee purity of feather colour genes.
More than fine by me- 6 for 2 Euros...not bad eh?
well- we came home to find Tippy Toes squarking away in a box , but Betty wandering round the field. ( well- we have spent the last 4 days locking her out of the nestiong box!)
Hmm...the problem now is that 3 eggs is plenty huge enough under my little bantam ( her eggs are 35g)- so that's almost like sitting on 9 eggs for her!
She's also a first time mum ( hatched last Feb)
So now we've got 3 spare eggs- I'm tempted to try and put a 4th under her- 2 under each wing- but wondered what to do with the other 2. They were only laid within the past 3 days- so what should I do- leave them in the box with a few tiny ones and hope one of the others decides to go broody- or bring them inside ( warmer) and wait and see what happens.
Bit confused actually- I'd really love to hatch all 6!
And nope- I don't really want to buy an incubator

Why is NOTHING straight forward!!!

[its hilly]

Im pretty sure you should keep them cool, but not cold. and you definately keep them pointy end down. Ive hatched eggs that were two weeks old and had been kept in the fridge (when foxy visited and they were all I had left from my original hens) and the the results are now laying an egg a day so that worked ok for me, although I know this is not ideal.
Think its well worth leaving some of your less precious eggs in a nestbox to see if your banty goes back to brooding, or someone else gets the urge.
Any chance a neighbour might have a broody you could shove em under?
others may say different, but imo if you try to put too many big eggs under your banty she may well get fed up and leave them. Ive had it happen to me when I first started and was too enthusiastic with the buy button

[Suechooks]

Big bra?

[Nicos]

Big bra?

Have to say that I did wonder how the surrogate chook mums coped with duck eggs!

Oh- and thanks for the tip about how to store the remaining 2!

[RichmondHens]

I only put 4 large eggs under my bantams. They can't cope with any more. I also tend to put only 3 for a first timer, but I have a 3 egg R Com incubator so if I buy 6 eggs I can do a 3 under hen/3 in machine set. I'm about to set 6 LS eggs like this, but waiting for them to be laid (from hens belonging to someone else) so I can go pick them up!

If they are fairly fresh you should be able to keep them for a few days (turning regularly) to see if anyone else goes broody. Do I take it both Betty and Tippy Toes are broody? If you have a "not sure" one put her in a coop anyway just on any old eggs and see if she is serious or not. Then if she decides she is you can switch the eggs in a couple of days.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Nicos]

Well...Tippy is sat happily with 2 under each wing....and Betty has absolutely no intention of sitting any more ( fair enough!)
So just got Tippy covering at the moment
We've taken your advice and left 3 marked bantam eggs in another nest box to see if any others are tempted.


you know something??? I've just realised that day 21 is Easter weekend!!!!
Oh my

(..oh quick...I'm just going to have to Google what they should look like!!)

[Jeanied]

Ooh - they could look like these, Nicos - taken from a quick google search - what a fab Easter pressie!

[RichmondHens]

you know something??? I've just realised that day 21 is Easter weekend!!!!
Oh my

(..oh quick...I'm just going to have to Google what they should look like!!)

That's why I am desperate to sit my gal on the LS eggs. Little yellow chicks at Easter! I've tucked a couple of our own eggs under a bird that's been broody for ages and I had decided not to sit her but she doesn't want to budge so have taken the chance with just two. If she gets off it doesn't matter too much, and if she goes the distance then there may be a couple of extra chicks.

[Nicos]

You never know- there may even be a white chick!!



fingers crossed I get another broody soon

[Nicos]

Update....

Those 3 eggs did their trick within 12 hours!!!!

Looks like Beyonce has volunteered!!!
again a first time mom-10 months old- lets hope having Tippy Toes squawking in the next box will keep her in the mood- and protective!
( 3 weeks today eh???)

[HayleyB]

Wow, Nicos, well done on that trick...

[Nicos]

Darn....spoke too soon!

[mr darcy]

I want this massive run with about thirty different hens!!! it's all your fault/s with all these chicken stories!!

[HayleyB]

Darn....spoke too soon!

It'll be the bra then

[Nicos]

Update...

Tippy Toes still sitting on 4 eggs- she left the coop this am when I opened them up

Imagine the relief when I touched them and they were nice and warm

Still 2 eggs waiting for a mother though

( oh yes- she's back on them after a mahoosive poop gobbled up some corn, a good swig of water and a well earned dust bath!!!!)

Almost 1/3 of the way there- already!!!!