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Author Topic: More brooding & Question  (Read 4150 times)

Offline Jerrymac

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More brooding & Question
« on: May 19, 2009, 07:15:09 pm »
Another hen started her thing. The biggest problem I have is where they decide to sit up nesting is where others want to lay eggs. So.... Everyday I have to peek under the broody hen and pick out all the new eggs. Hasn't really been a problem until this one. She is wicked mean. We really got into a fight today. She pecked the crap out of my hand and I grabbed her by the throat and glaring into her eyes I explained that this was not going to be a very good relationship if she keeps that up. I let her go and she pecks at me, so I swat at her, she pecks at me so I swat at her. She runs off just a squawking and griping. Later she was back on the nest and giving me dirty looks.

I am wondering if it is fine and dandy to move her to another place where the others won't be laying eggs in her nest so I won't have to fight her everyday to check for new eggs
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Offline Natalie

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2009, 09:23:38 pm »
I'd move her. Once you move her and the eggs I highly doubt she will abandon them.
I have a couple that will screech and peck at me if I try to collect eggs while they are in there and they aren't even broody.
They all like to lay in the same couple of boxes so every time I go out to check for eggs there is usually someone sitting on top of all of them while laying an egg.
I alway just lift them up so I can grab them all before they cracked and most of them don't care, especially my buff orpingtons, they don't care about anything you do.
But my black sex links want to take your hand off.
I don't even mind the pecking as much as I hate that creepy screech they do.
Today I was bent over with my face right next to the hanging feeder collecting eggs when one of my pullets jumped out of the feeder and scared the life out of me.
Their favorite nest box is the one that is hidden behind the hanging feeder.
Its the little one with the cross beak and she likes to go inside the feeder to eat but I had no idea she was there so when she jumped out I screamed and scared the hen who I was collecting the eggs out from under and she jumped up.
I really wish they would use the other nest boxes.....

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2009, 11:33:25 pm »
Yeah I have those that peck at me as I collect the eggs. That is nothing. This gal has gone  psycho. And she is a  buff orpington, looks just like the other brooder that is so gentle and doesn't complain a bit.  :-\
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Offline Natalie

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2009, 11:45:28 pm »
ahh, the crazy twin sister. Maybe its hormones :-D
 I'd move her just so I wouldn't have to deal with her.

Offline TwT

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2009, 08:20:46 am »
if you move her you must cage her because odds is she will go back to that old location when she gets off the nest. they dont know which eggs are which just the location they are sitting.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2009, 09:42:08 pm »
I got everything set up. I will move her into the closet with the other brooder tonight and close them in. That will keep the others out of their nest and help to avoid more tragedies like what has already happened.

I gave the one hen 13 eggs awhile back. I guess it was unlucky because one of the chickens broke one. Then just awhile ago I lifted her up to check for extra eggs and she was short two eggs. Then I heard a crack. As I was trying to figure out what that was there was another crack. There were two eggs in her wing I guess when I picked her up and the cracking was them falling down into the nest.

Yeah they were both growing  :'(
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Offline Natalie

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2009, 10:50:40 pm »
Aw bummer, sometimes you can seal the shell with melted beeswax.
At least you still have all the other eggs, you are a regular ol chicken farmer now.

Offline Cindi

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2009, 11:18:52 am »
Ah, I could sit and read these kind of stories all day long....long, long, long, that is me longing to read all day long, smiling.

A broody hen screech, or even a hen that doesn't want eggs removed from under her, is one of the horrifying sounds I can think of.  We had a screamer chicken, she was one that I took to the auction last fall.  Her screech scared me so badly, all the time, that I just couldn't take it any more, smiling.  She was a nasty, scrittery, horrible thing, I didn't want any kind of eggs from her, let alone, genetics, if she would give bad screecy babies like her.  Sorry, just that hard side of me.

It sure is funny how they fluff up when their are broody when they are disturbed, I get a kick out of that.  Jerry, I've picked up a broody hen and had some eggs that were stuck in her wings too, fortunately they fell out before the fall was too far, they didn't crack or anything.

I have moved broody hens to a different spot.  I have found that once they are deep into the broody thing, you can move them just about anywhere, but sooner is better.  It is a pain in the butt to have the other chickens laying their eggs.

My Muscovy duck that is sitting on eggs.  Poor thing.  The chickens and the other duck climb over her to the back of the box and lay a little clutch of eggs behind her.  Every day I go and get those eggs, it is a pain in the butt.  Muscovys don't like their nest boxes moved, they will abandon it, been there, done that.  Her eggs are marked, so I just collect the eggs at the back of the nest.  They are in a nice little spot, she complains a little and hisses, but she knows me, she likes me, she knows I am her mamma and I will do her no harm.  They are such sweet birds, love 'em.

Kay, off to do some work with getting the chicks out of the babor into their new little home that is all warm, and snug as a bug.  Can't wait to count.....and count....and try some feather sexing as I do.  Beautiful days, to love and live, and share, great health.  Cindi
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Offline doak

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2009, 01:36:16 pm »
Simple, just put a screen on her nest and fix to where you can open late in the afternoon so she can come out and eat. close back  up in a couple hours. Time after time.
Most laying happens before noon. :)doak

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2009, 08:41:06 pm »
Mine start laying sometime in the morning and go all through the day. Even had an egg or two laid after 6PM  :shock:
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Offline Natalie

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2009, 10:57:41 pm »
Yeah, mine lay all day long too. I usually have several in the nest when I go check on them in the morning and they lay all day long, I usually get the last one around 6:00 pm.

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2009, 08:51:34 pm »
I had them locked up for awhile then yesterday I opened the door and let them do what they were gonna do. Last night I shut them in from the boogy man. This morning I opened them up.

I found the mean wicked one in the wrong side and on an empty box. I went and got her box with the eggs and set it beside her, she jumped right into it. :idunno:

Just how long can she be off the eggs before things go bad for the egg? The temps were in the 70'sF when she got off them probably and they got up to 80F around noon and on up to 84F around 4PM before starting to drop down to 82F now.
Danged old birdbrain :catchchick:
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Offline Natalie

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2009, 11:35:56 pm »
It seems that it should be warm enough for it not to be too big a deal.
Its fairly early in the hatch too so I think it will be alright.
I know people who have taken eggs out of the frig and hatched them with no problems at all.
I put eggs aside in a bowl until I have enough collected to put in the incubator as well so being so early in the hatch and your warm temps I am going to venture a guess and say that you should be okay.

Offline wisconsin_cur

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Re: More brooding & Question
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2009, 02:48:40 am »
I have taken a food grade barrel and saw in half lengthwise and around the middle.  Then I fastened wire to the open arches and leave the bottom open to the ground.  Then I put the brooding cage in a nice dry spot of the barn and find some nice straw or hay.

At night I move the broody hen and her eggs to her new nest with waterer and then feed her a little grain daily (they don't need too much since they are metabolizing the eggs they are no longer laying).  They seem happy and do a better job for me on hatching out eggs.

This one is under the milking stanchion.
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