I think our Barnevelder has gone broody.. She has been such a grouch for weeks it was getting really old to get screamed at every time I came around... Poor thing probably just wants some privacy.
I'll be glad if she is...
A peek under my broody
Yes, it is nice to have a real incubator. Except I have three (and another trying) out of 9 hens. UGH!
UPDATE! The problem is a bit larger than I thought. Dad should have 7 eggs left under my girls. I have found 22!! :0 What are they thinking??? So, I marked all those that are under there now. After marking I found 2 more!! How many can one chicken hold??? I took the new ones out. I am not suppose to have anymore babies. DH has (or thought he had) shut down the baby factory. hehehe *THUD*
Yup, I have two broodies and every day I find more eggs under them. I have started marking eggs with an X in permanent marker (pencil was coming off) because it's the only way I can figure out to collect the others. Otherwise, she'll have some hatching and some still setting, partway developed, and I'll have to bring them in and stick them in the 'bator. Not good to have staggered hatches under a broody, but they do make it difficult by all visiting the broody and leaving an egg with her. Sigh.
I am glad I am not alone with this one. I just did not look under them because I didnt want to disturb them. They will definately have a staggard hatch now because they have been putting them under there daily more than likely. There are more than a dozen more than dad put under there. (The little darlings) :/ I will just have to look and listen everyday now. I have a women who wants pullets, so I guess they will get homes. Once again, the roos will go onto Craigs list. I really dont want anymore. Claire, do your broody's raise the babies as well? I was curious as I have never let mine. I take them. I am afraid because the nesting boxes are up off the ground and they can fall out.
At least I know why the egg count dropped! :D
Oh ya, almost forgot to ask...
Why is this new chick balding? LOL It has an area that the feathers are not quite in yet.
Alopecia Areata! Spotty baldness! :( poor ugly baby.
Our Barnevelder hen is broody.. I saw the RIRs crawling in with her this morning.. I'm gonna have to just get brave and check her eggs! I don't want a bunch of babiez either! I'll let her hatch the last batch I collected from her.. but that's it. I'm done.. LOL
That is toooo funny to find 22 eggs! Like she is gonna get jacked up off the ground! LOL
Poor bald baby.. looks like it soaked too long.. LOL
hehehe That would be a funny sight but they are split between 2 broody girls. LOL What a mental picture that is 22 eggs under one hen! :D
Yes, its bald on the shoulder blades. It looks so sad! *and yet funny at the same time*
Sewin' - this is the first time I have ever let a broody hen sit on eggs, so I don't know how they will work out. It is warm enough here that I think they should do OK. They are in nest boxes but not more than 18 inches off the ground (the ground being shavings) so I think once they start exploring, they will be OK too. I have had chicks jump off the table where I keep the brooder when they are very young with no adverse effects.
I have several babies with bald spots - even older ones!
Phew! Thats good news! I thought this one had "issues". Good to know.
Okay, maybe I can let them try then. Are yours with other chickens? I mean, will others try to hurt them. That is my biggest fear, that one of the others will attack the helpless baby and kill it.
We had a duck sitting on 22 eggs.
I felt sorry for the broody today, so I gave her a little bowl of feed.. a tiny lil plastic tub that the worms came in.. I went out there this afternoon and the dish was gone! I didn't get enough eggs from the girls, so I suspect someone is giving her extra eggs.. I reach under.. and pull out the dish.. it was empty of food.. but it had an egg in it!!!!!!! Isn't that funny! She dumped out the food and put an egg in it and tucked it under... LOL I cracked up!
LOL, ZeeZ!! DH asleep beside me and I'm snorting through my teeth trying to keep quiet!! HAH!!
Cajun - that must be one big duck! 22 eggs! Wow!
ZZ - that was hilarious! I am cracking up! (oops, egg humor)
LMBO! So...what else will they tuck under there??? hehehe
I think I am going to candle them in a few days. I want to get rid of whatever ones are not growing. That seems to be a lot of eggs for two hens. One has 10 the other has 12. Nope...no bowls or kitchen sinks under mine! :D
It was just a regular mallard. But she was very industrious. LOL
I once saw a wild mallard with 28 ducklings. I think she must have co-opted some of them from another mother.
On our creek they need to start with that many to be able to raise a few. The most successful hen I have seen here is a hen who nested under our deck. She hatched 14 eggs and raised 7 of her ducklings to adulthood. We called them the magnificent 7.