GrandMOM to be....

[Nicos]

How do you isolate them?
I only have one room- unless I take her away completely from the others ( and I understood it's not wise doing that in case they are rejected later) ?????

[Chickens4Me]

Take the wooden egg out otherwise the chicks will be born with wooden legs Lol

[MaureenHall]

And wooden that be funny

[frias]

Do they come bigger???

Borrow one of mine.

[Hilary B]

How do you isolate them?
I only have one room- unless I take her away completely from the others ( and I understood it's not wise doing that in case they are rejected later) ?????

I used a tea chest with a wire-mesh front on, in the run. A 'nest' at the back, and food and water by the front. If she is sitting on eggs to hatch, let her out supervised each day and get her back to the right place. If not, only let her out when there are NO eggs (and no likelihood of more eggs that day) in the proper nest box. That way she could be 'let out' for as long as she wants, but look in at roosting time, and if she is in the main nestbox, put her back in her tea-chest (or equivalent), if she is on the perch, let her stay there until first light.
Broody chooks when you are not there during daylight are REALLY difficult. That is when the 'sin bin' is best. I never had to do it that way, but a neighbour of mine used a cat carrier (the wire mesh type) and gave her food and water dishes that could not be tipped easily, and could be filled without opening the 'cage'. That hen gave up after 3 days.... Chooks were always secondary to having goats, pigs or sheep when we kept them, so it will not be quite the same from your seat....

[Nicos]

Hmm..the problem is that I'm happy for her to hatch her own eggs- it's the others coming along and interfering!!!
I like the idea of a tea chest though- if only to keep the others away from her.
I'll see what I can find- thanks for the tip!

[Hilary B]

Hmm..the problem is that I'm happy for her to hatch her own eggs- it's the others coming along and interfering!!!
I like the idea of a tea chest though- if only to keep the others away from her.
I'll see what I can find- thanks for the tip!

You can use the tea chest as a hatching coop just as much as to 'cure the brooding', but you do need to control her 'out of coop' time if you want eggs hatched. If you haven't enough 'under roof' space for a tea chest, fasten a plastic sheet (I always used an opened-out plastic feed sack) over the top to make it rain-resistant. Nailing it on with the large-headed 'clout nails' is sufficient.

[HayleyB]

I'm just waiting to see what the wooden hatchling looks like

[Nicos]

update...

Bertha happily sitting (eta 1st or 2nd Feb)

Betty now on one real egg- I managed to remove the wooden one! ( sorry folks) If I find any other warm ones today or tomorrow I'll pop them under her!

I cracked open the 3 eggs which had been incubated for 3 days- and they looked fine- so ate them - no obvious difference- and no little signs of a future chick either.

Wooden egg in a different nesting box...so lets see if the others start laying again

[Chickens4Me]

hope they don't get splinters in there bums Lol

[Nicos]

Update....

Bertha on 4 ( one is from yesterday from one of the other chooks - and I'll pop that one under Betty when her other three hatch.

Betty sitting on 5

I just thought with 9 there is more chance of actually having a tiny little chick! ( I wonder how tiny they will be as they are bantams and their eggs only weight 30g)

Thanks for the advice about marking them- it'll certainly make things easier - just t think -one week today and I may be a granny!!!!

I'll take some photos of the gals nesting and get some help to post them on here.

I'll be asking for advice please nearer the time as what to do with them when they are hatched!..has anyone had a hen hatch her own brood in winter ?????

[Nicos]

Update-

.....well Pheasant has decided to go broody today and is sitting on her and Alice's eggs!!!!

Looks like there may be a shortage of eggs in the kitchen for a while!

Quite sweet though!

[Nicos]

Oh - phew....she's changed her mind!!!

[Nicos]

Urm...now Pheasant has nicked some of Bertha's eggs and they are now sharing one nest box with the eggs shared out between them!!!!

Good job the eggs are marked!

Need to urgently track down a tea chest (or three) or something!!!

...so three broody hens it is at the moment!!
I've taken some photos so I'll try and get help posting them!

[lynda66]

lol, sounds like it's catching ..... i think incubators are much easier now