| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MotherLodeBeth |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 5:28:03 PM
Have a friend who was so excited because her Buff hen was sitting on a nest for three weeks, so she was curious how many eggs had been laid. She was laughing so hard but also a tad discouraged because the hen had been sitting on the golf ball they had placed in the nest to encouraged the hen to hatch some much needed chicks.
How often do you guys check your broody hens when they are sitting?
~I am the best of France and California~ |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 07:44:38 AM
I also check my nest boxes 3 times a day. That also means checking under the broody mama at least twice, for me, and removing any newly laid eggs. What I do is gather some eggs that I want the mama to hatch, mark them on the ends with x's with a pencil, and then place them under her at the same time. That way, all the chicks will hatch at once, and you won't have a staggered hatch. Eggs can be stored in the house (NOT in the fridge) for up to a week, before placing them under a broody, but I try not to wait more than about 5 days at the most.
I mark the eggs on the ends because if you mark on the sides, the pencil wears off. Remove any new eggs daily. I also candle the marked eggs at a week, 14 days and about 18 days to make sure they are still fertile and progressing. :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| 1badmamawolf |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 7:58:09 PM
Lillian, put a dot from a felt pen on both sides of the eggs, that way you will know those are supposed to be there.
Funny story a friend told me a few years ago about golfballs and a Canadian goose. She and her mate thought a fancy golf course was a great place to nest one year, she built her nest under some bushes next to a water hazard. Her and her mate took turns sitting on the nest like they should, not letting anyone near it ( I guess they wreaked havic with the golfers if they got too close, so they put up a fence to keep everyone away and took that hole out til the eggs hatched)the problem was, everytime a ball got within 20 feet of the nest, one or the other would run out and roll the ball back to and into their nest, when the goslings finally hatched and soon as they all left, one of the grounds keepers counted 47 balls in her nest, I guess she thought they were giving her more eggs, even with the size differance she still sat on them and tried to hatch them,lol.
I use plastic easter eggs for my hens, FYI...
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jun 27 2010 : 6:37:43 PM
I have a broody hen right now sitting on 3 golf balls, she is sure they will hatch. I have another broody hen that will actually be a mama hen in 9 days. She is sitting on 7 eggs and hopefully will be a good mama, beings these are her first ones. I actually collect my eggs 3 times a day, so there isn't ever a chance for them to be sitting on an undetermined amount. The 7 eggs that are under her are the ones I chose to be there.
Once she was sitting and established I pulled the golfballs out and placed the selected eggs under her. The first few days I lift her up and make sure no one has snuck into her nest while she was out for her bathroom run, if thy did I remove it (if I know which one it is). After that I pretty much leave her alone. Only checking on her nest if I catch her off of it.
Lillian |
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