Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Heather

Good news about the broody. To simplify Gilly's advice even further -
a broody in a little ark or anywhere secluded like corner of a shed,
plenty of bedding - she'll make her own nest,
up to 13 eggs for a normal-sized hen,
food and drink at hand,
let (or turn) her out once a day, she'll go back to the eggs.
By the way an odd number of eggs is better because of the way she arranges them under her. And in 21 days - chicks. Broodies are excellent mothers for 5 weeks after hatching.

And be reassured, she won't come on the Forum, because she already knows how to do it. After you first success you'll be itching to do it again.

Pob lwc - Best of luck

Alan

hi heather
just wanted to let youknow how i got on with eggs from ebay. not good is the answer we had two hatch out and one then died so we are left with one lonely turkey. i am going to take the chance on some more and am waiting for them to arrive but it is a lot of money so hope that i can start providing my own eventually.
good luck with yours.
maree

often the yolk gets broken or the air sac damaged in the post if they are handled roughly much better to collect eggs yourself if you can, also posted eggs need to rest 24 hours before incubating

Just to keep the thread alive, here's a picture (taken this morning) of Mam Hwyaid - Mama Duck - who hatched ducklings last year (see posting of March 27 above). This year she is sitting 6 Wheaten Marans, 6 Blue Laced Barnevelders and an extra egg of our own to make it up to 13. If you want a picture of happiness, this is it.





I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Alan

Super picture, Alan. Mam looks as though she's taking her work very seriously!
What breed is she? I have a few Norfolk Greys and she has a similar looking plumage.

John

She's what we call a Chwilog Black -one of our own hatched chicks from two years ago - a sort of reverse coloured Light Sussex. Her dad was a Light Sussex and her mother one of his many wives (which one I'm not sure).

Alan

Dear Alan, i can't see the said photo.

That's because the hen is in fact purple, whereas Alan has said it's blue. Or green in his case.

Dear Jenny Blue

Quite the reverse

Alan

Dear Alan, i can see it now, a superb photo.
Thats a brown egg that thats peeping out of her feathers.

Priceless Jenny.

hi, we have put 6 new turkey eggs in the incubator bought from ebay and 6 lavendar arucanas also from ebay. now one of my ex battery ducks has decided to sit again. the last lot were a disaster as every time she got off somebody snuck in and laid in her nest. she ended up with so many eggs she would kick some out and they were usually the ones part cooked now we have partitioned off some of the house with food and water to stop this happening again. she has buried herself so deep in the hay that only her head and neck are visible. so we will have to wait and see. no idea how many ggs are unde her so keep your fingers crossed. maree