Are ex-bats supposed to go broody?

[lynda66]

i reckon if you leave some eggs under her, so she's trying to hatch them, then chuck her out and substitute the new eggs, she'll never know any difference and just keep sitting on them ....... now that's even more eggciting

[Snadger]

Well I've gone and done it now haven't I?

I made a silly offer for Australorp hatching eggs on eBay and just had it accepted. Six eggs paid for by paypal and hopefully I'll get them tomorrow!

Now what do I do as she's still comandeered one of the nesting boxes in the main hut? Do I try and move her? Do I try and hurriedly construct a broody hut and run to put inside the main run?

I've asked the same question on a chooky forum so desperately need some answers.

[MaureenHall]

Oh wow!!! Brilliant Snadger. I haven't really got a clue 'cos I've never been in this situation, but I think I'd try and knock together a broody-coop (think someone once said they'd converted a rabbit hutch for this), and move her into it with some eggs under her like Lynda suggested, then swap the eggs for the fertile (hopefully) ones when they arrive.
Oooooooooooooooooooo is so exciting . Please please please keep us posted on progress.
Good luck - lots and lots of it

[Snadger]

Well broody coop is now constructed under the workbench in my chicken shed. Added homemade nest box. Took her off nest (which she wasn't too happy about) and plonked her in her new nest with part od the straw from her old nest.
She had been sitting on five eggs so left her three until tuthers arrive.

Everything was constructed outside and brought in so there was no noise (screws instead of nails!) and she has water and mixed corn in her new run.
Front is just a sheet of chicken wire with a rope threaded through top and looped at each end onto a screw. Bottom is held in place with a brick! To get in to feed and clean her all I have to do is shift brick, hinge up mesh on rope loops and I can do the necessary.

I left her for a while and when I came back she had been out and eaten half the mixed corn and was sitting on top of the nest box.
Hopefully she'll return to the nest, rearange it to suit herself and still be able to see her pals!
Fingers crossed I get her NEW eggs tomorrow and that she will sit on them! Think I'll just leave the three eggs she's got in with her now with the six new ones when they come! I'll hopefully be able to take them out when she's a bit more settled!

[frias]

One of my ex-batts was broody for just over 3 weeks. Had to be pushed out of nest box for food and water. The boss really went for her each time she was in the run too. I think she was telling the broody to pull herself together. As soon as the broody got back to normal the boss stopped picking on her.

[Snadger]

One of my ex-batts was broody for just over 3 weeks. Had to be pushed out of nest box for food and water. The boss really went for her each time she was in the run too. I think she was telling the broody to pull herself together. As soon as the broody got back to normal the boss stopped picking on her.

My broody IS the boss at the mo!

[frias]

Good luck with the eggs then and congratulations on your new grandchild. Not necessarily in that order!

[Snadger]

Catastrophy.......she escaped! Somehow she managed to get out of my hastily constructed broody coop and returned to her original nestbox.

If she's only happy there says I, I'll just have to try and accomodate her. The Ausralorp eggs arrived today so they are now under her along with one of the unfertilised eggs she was sitting on, making it lucky 7!

Demolished the other coop and built a makeshift affair around where she is now. Had to take the other two nestboxes out of commision to acomodate her so have knocked up a couple more nestboxes nearby!

Hopefully she'll be happy now and stay put on the eggs!

[lynda66]

awwwwww hope you get lots of babies she knows where she wants to be obviously your idea just wasn't good enough

just had a thought, what will you do if the babies are boys

[Snadger]

awwwwww hope you get lots of babies she knows where she wants to be obviously your idea just wasn't good enough

just had a thought, what will you do if the babies are boys

Australorps are a dual purpose bird Lynda............so it's chicken dinner time.

Before I start talking of culling chooks though lets just see if any hatch and I'll take it from there!

[lynda66]

am sad now ...... actually i was having the same thoughts about having egg babies the other day, i have a friend who is a butcher, and he's said if i decide to have babies that he will do the necessary on them ...... it's weird, i worked on a chicken and pig farm when i was much younger and had no problems plucking a still flapping chicken and gutting it, and the same with pigs (though not the plucking obviously ) and it didn't bother me at all.

but the thought of having ikkle babies and seeing them grow up, i just still don't think i could kill them, as i couldn't then, but i do really fancy the idea of fresh duck and chicken

[Snadger]

I think they shouuld be just about ready for Christmas.

Not counting my chickens though!

[MaureenHall]

Well fingers crossed Snadger. I really admire you for being so down-to-earth about the possibility of rearing cockrels for the table. I could rear them and send them away to have the necessary done, but I'd have to swap mine with someone elses I just couldn't eat something I'd known and given a name to - even if the name was Christmas Dinner
How's mum-to-be doing? We definitely want some pics of her and if any eggs hatch, we want to start a baby album please!

[di]

It's weird I always thought I'd be the same(not be able to do it!)but since having chooks at the lottie & not at home,& I think also that they all look pretty much the same,so other than the odd one,I'm not particularly attatched to any of them!~Don't get me wrong,I spend far longer than I should just watching them,or chatting to them~digging up bits of the run for worms & generally treating them far more like pets than meat!!But I have finally come to the decision that I think I could actually rear some for the table.....or could I????Yes I could!
SO!!While I'm being brave!!Is the best way to go to buy hatching eggs or can you get ready babies?~I'd need them to all look the same for my plan to work!But I'm now thinking that Christmas is really only round the corner & if I want to do it then need to get round to it sooner rather than later!
P.SGood Luck Snadger!

[lynda66]

oh yeah a baby album would be great, it would definitely help with knowing what to expect from baby chickens and a few words on what they have done that day ..... in fact, i think you should set up a web cam so we can watch her constantly ...... is getting all excited