The Poultry Keeper

CP · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:12 am Post subject: Due end of April

I have 19 hatching eggs in my incubtor since 10th April. They will be due to hatch around the 30th.

Trouble is since then I've had 2 hens go broody! Do I put some under them now, or just before they hatch, or wait until they are 1 day old?

What would be the best time? Confused

debcat · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:18 am Post subject:

I put some eggs under my broody that had ben in the incubator for a few days first. She was fine with them.
HTH
Debs

Gina · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Kent

You go half and half...leave 9 eggs in the incubator and give 5 eggs each to the broodys.

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

I agree with Gina, I am doing the same!!

CP · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:49 pm Post subject:

Now? Or just before hatching? Confused

jaydee67 · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 6:15 pm Post subject:

I would go for now - just in case your broodies get fed up with nothing to sit on. Plus if you split them and a broody does get fed up you still have the incubator running! Very Happy

Gina · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Kent

Yes i would go for now too!

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

Sorry, I mean put the eggs under the broodies now, get them used to the idea Exclamation

CP · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:09 am Post subject:

OK, the 2 broodies have been split up. (these are my 2 that love to share a nest box!) Each has a nest with 2 ordinary eggs in to see if they will keep sitting tight after being moved. I hope so!

Maybe after a couple of days we will put some of the proper hatching eggs under them as suggested.

Still a long way to go until the 30th!!

Gina · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Kent

Yes, I think that is right....give them a little while to check they are happy with the move then replace dud eggs with the good ones!

CP · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 10:28 am Post subject:

One seems to be sitting tight at the moment. blob3

The other one was agitated this morning, went out for a big poo came back & is now sitting in a normal nest box with nothing under her!

I will try to move her again later, or maybe after dark so she can settle again overnight.

Gina · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Kent

One of mine did that. She got out of the run attached to the house and was off!...Went to go back into original nest box - I just picked her straight back up and put her in with eggs.

She is the one I am more worried about the other one just sits and would till I lift her off.

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

Just checked my broody - nowhere in sight, so went back to nestbox she started sitting in, and there she was, sitting on todays eggs Rolling Eyes

She has a seperate pen, all, or so I thought, secure, apparently not, she got out of a tiny hole Shocked

All her eggs were stone cold, but hopefully, some will hatch on Wednesday Wink

fingers crossed, sally xxx

CP · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:45 am Post subject:

Fingers crossed for you Sally.

Both of my broodies now seem to be settled & sitting tight. We may leave it a few more days before putting the proper eggs under them, just to be sure! Rolling Eyes

Roll on the 30th!

CP · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:54 pm Post subject:

We are about to candle our incubated eggs, but we've done it in the past without really getting a good idea of what's good or bad. Confused

We only have a home-made candler, too. Maybe it's not bright enough? We did find that it gets quite hot, so didn't want to keep the eggs over the light too long.

Anyway, if we can decide which ones, we will transfer some of them to our broodies for hatching next weekend. We now have 3 broody girls, but 1 has only been 1 week so far, so we might not let her have any? Confused

We'll see.