My Lulu is definately broody

[MehgaLegs]

Woohoo. She has been broody since yesterday. She is sitting on three of her own eggs but I doubt hey are ant good as she is rarely with the rooster. Anyhoo - I have half a dozen Buff Orp eggs, hopefully ready on Weds for her to hatch.

Hope she holds on to then. She went broody last year when the weather got bad. She was out this morning for awhile but went back in after awhile. Atleast by Weds I'll know if she is serious or not.

Too many awhiles there! Beer.

ahhh

Actually, buff orps can be good meat birds. But they are also vewy, vewy, vewy fluffy

Oh exciting megalegs!!!

lol. mmj

our broody was always broody for weeks on end. got so that the kids would actually push broodies out of the coop at other people's houses and get told off. the reaction of the other people always confused dcs!

i really want chickens !! tell me all about them and what i need to know

Hey, mega...we're getting some chickens

Will you be my own personal chicken info service?

My Buff Orpington/Cochin cross has just gone broody - no eggs but can't shift her! We don't have a cockerel so its pretty pointless (and she's the best layer!). Any tips on how to STOP it??
On the upside, the Araucana/silver Dorking crosses have just started laying - one pink and one blue eggs!!

isolate her - we normally use an old pet acrrier and add food and water and leave her alone (normally outside) - the idea os to cool her down and to therefore suppress her 'broody' hormone. you probably need to do this for 24 - 48 hours. orpingtons do make great broodies tho so she will do this for ever if she gets the chance

I think megalegs WANTS her broody though, to do some hatching!

I'm always looking for someone who wants a broody, as my pekin bantam is a fantastic broody hen. We regularly have to dunk her little bottom in cold water to get to stop. I do love the way she 'growls' at me when I move her off the nest

Good luck with the hatching!

i'm going to hatch ducklings soon so hope that we can use the broody to 'mother' them once they are out of the incubator

Yay - LTH - I will do my best .

Can't decide what to do with Lulu. she is sitting on 6 of her own (thought it was only three but she is difficult to budge).

My chicken options (don't laugh non chickeny mnners, this is serious stuff )

a) Leave her on her own eggs for a few more days then candle them - there is a chance they could be fertile but she lives totally free range in the garden and is only with the rooster a few hours a day unlike the others who are always with him.

b) hope the Buff Orp lady has soem egss on Weds.

c) Have some free Cotswold Legbar eggs from my neighbour.

d) Buy some v.expensive Red dorking eggs from a local bloke.

Come and guide me.

Well DH has made the decicion for me. Lulu is now sitting on half a dozen red dorking eggs.

Counting tomorrow as day 1 they will hopefully hatch on 15th April.

i'd add in the free legbar ones too good luck!

I'm going to put those in the incubator with the Sassos and the Buff Orps.

do let us know how it goes, we are going to try hatching ducklings ans are a bit nervous!

Bloody hell - still nothing. Dh reckons today is the day (but I make this day 23). Too quiet for my liking.

Poor Lulu - I wonder why she can't seem to hatch anything.

The eggs were very dirty when we got them, the guy said not to clean them just to rub the pooh off with a dry cloth - we did. He also said that the bacteria from Lulu's pooh might contaminate the eggs. She has been really clean and the one or two times she has pooped in the nest I have cleared it up.

Will keep waiting.

Cleaning the eggs with damp cloth or washing them removes the protective film and lets the germs in, hence the dry cloth. But if Lulu has been clean then it doesn't sound like she's at fault either. Maybe she doesn't turn them often enough? Or she lets the odd egg get cold on the side? 23 days.... and no cheeping or rolling? Bum! Will you give it another day or so?

On the bright side, how long until Sassos Are Go?

Having said about protective film, I usually gently 'mist' the eggs with a plant sprayer of water at about day 18 to soften the shells up. Apparently it makes it easier for the chick to peck its way out.

She is still sitting but I haven't been pestering her so much today. Will check again in a bit.

Sassos due nexy Thurs.

My Maran hen has gone broody but we only have one nest box and our Buff Orpington comes along in the morning, moves the Maran over, lays her egg and then the Maran sits back on the nest!
I've got some 6 Araucana (bantam) eggs under her as well.
She's not noticed that they are a quite a bit smaller than her own eggs.
With any luck they should hatch by 10th May at the latest.
But i do have to disturb her every 2 days because otherwise she does not seem to eat or drink, also need to collect the Orpington eggs!

Ooh how exciting! I wish mine would go broody. I've had to resort to desperate measures.

I want some Araucanas too.

Hens should get up to eat, drink & poo everyday so it's good to disturb her if she's sitting that tight.

at your Orpie budging her over to use the box!

Still sitting tightly! Been such a miserable rainy day that we decided to do some baking so i went out in the rain to get some eggs.
Would she budge no way!
Had to resort to feeling under her to get the eggs, whilst avoiding the bantam eggs.
She just sat there doing her "growling cluck" and pecking at drops of water on her feathers.
She was OK but i was getting a bit wet!
Anyway, managed to do a big batch of fairy cakes.