The great broody experiment (new pics p 18)

[freemotion]

OK, I am getting very jealous here!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Broody-girl~ Nancy, and Big Mama are co-existing very nicely right now and broody is still sitting on the original 8 eggs. I may slip more in there tomorrow to make an even 10.

Well, guys, I broke down and added outside birds to my flock. I got greedy when I found I couldn't keep up with egg demands, so I bought some 1 yr. old Aussies off a guy(7). They will need feeding up and conditioning, but they are laying every day, so it might be worth it. Very sweet and docile compared to my flighty group! Of course, these are pen gals and not used to the wild blue yonder....I expect they will adapt to life in the wilds soon enough and I will no longer be able to lay a hand on them without a three alarm siren screech~just like my gals!

 

[freemotion]

I think Mya is breaking the eggs in her stall.....one yesterday, and one today. I will give this some thought tomorrow and see what brilliant new idea I come up with!!

FYI, for those still not sure of the whole grain feeding idea....today I got 11 eggs from 12 hens, 5 are older! No production egg-laying breeds!

 

[keljonma]

I think Mya is breaking the eggs in her stall.....one yesterday, and one today. I will give this some thought tomorrow and see what brilliant new idea I come up with!!

free, I can think of 2 reasons the eggs are being broken:

1. Does the roo have access to the stall? We found that when we had Lou in the barn in the broody nest, Sam would break eggs while Lou was off the nest during her daily poo/water/feed break. We ended up bringing the broody nest into our laundry/mud room.

2. Mya is breaking the eggs because she knows they won't hatch. We found every one Lou ever broke was not developing.

edited for typo

 

[freemotion]

I think Mya is breaking the eggs in her stall.....one yesterday, and one today. I will give this some thought tomorrow and see what brilliant new idea I come up with!!

free, I can think of 2 reasons the eggs are being broken:

1. Does the roo have access to the stall? We found that when we had Lou in the barn in the broody nest, Sam would break eggs while Lou was off the nest during her daily poo/water/feed break. We ended up bringing the broody nest into our laundry/mud room.

2. Mya is breaking the eggs because she knows they won't hatch. We found every one Lou ever broke was not developing.

edited for typo

Yes, the roo has access, he inspects everything the hens do. I've only seen him guarding eggs, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't break one....but I've seen him go and inspect Blue's eggs when she lays one in an odd place (he checked out the hayrack every time when she was laying in there for a while) but never broke one before.

Oh, and Mya is the goat, it is in her stall that the new nest is located. My suspicions are on her.

I think I will see if I can block that area from the goat and see if Blue-blue still goes in. She may not, anyways, if she knows her eggs have been broken.

I want a broody hen!!!

 

[me&thegals]

Isn't that ironic? When I had 6 broodies, I was annoyed. Then, when I finally decided to let the girls do what nature intended, only 1 broody still remained

That's an excellent egg:chicken ratio, freemotion! Way to go!

me&thegals

 

[Beekissed]

I know what you mean, ME! This broody I have sitting right now is the most annoying bird I own because she is constantly broody....never lays anything but she wants to sit on everyone else's eggs and must be evicted from the nest everytime I gather eggs!

NOW, however, I plan to use her evil powers for the good of the flock.....put on eggs continually until I have the chicks I want and the number I need. This saved her life, actually, because she was slated for culling this week!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Um....I have a definite broody!!

My little Silkie hen, Emmy, sat on NOTHING for two days! She had made her nest and was laying an egg daily, and I just kept collecting her eggs. She stopped laying and she still sat on her nest for two days....on air!! She didn't have a single egg under her!!! But I took 2 other bantam eggs that were laid that day and put them under her. Next day she had stolen two more...and today she stole yet two more! So she has a total of 6 bantam eggs under her. Tomorrow I am working on a broody pen and moving her and her clutch of 6 to her own pen, so that she won't be disturbed by the other chickens.

 

[freemotion]

Sheesh! What is wrong with my girls? Am I not paying them enough???

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Sheesh! What is wrong with my girls? Am I not paying them enough???

You need a silkie hen. You can't stop broody with them!