4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, OH has spent the morning knocking up a broody hen house for Speckle our speckled hen (imaginatively named ) out of recycled wood so it's cost us nothing. It should have cost us nothing in eggs as we were getting some from a friend, however, I got too excited to wait and dashed off to Perfect Poultry in Ligh"Ooops, word censored!"er (those of you that know him - HE'S GOT AN EGLU!!! I did take the mick, don't know how or where from but it's a bit tatty and it's yellow) Anyway, went for four but came away with 7 eggs, let me see if I can remember them. Got a Buff Brahma, Buff Orpington (my two favourites!!) an Aracuana, Cream Legbar, Copper Maran and Wheatan Maran, and a Buff Sussex. How FAB! Unfortunately Speckle is most unhappy at being turfed off her nest and is currently BOK BOKKING as loudly as she can in protest, hasn't even SEEN her new brood. Hopefully she'll get the hang of them later today.

 

Mrs Bertie

[bronze]

Lets hope theye girls then cos I don;t think any of those breeds are renowned for being tast.

[BeckyBoo]

I know, the guy who we got them from is quite interested in having the boys back off me if any of his turn out to be cockerels so that's a bit of a bonus, not sure what other breeds the other eggs are we're getting.

Speckle eventually settled, first she kicked three of the eggs out and sat on four, then she pulled one more in, and last time I looked she'd got the last two right up against her, so I'm hopeful. I hope it will be a nice experience for her as well, she's such a big fluffy knickered girl, the sort you think will make a lovely mum (although she's a bit fearsome, bit like me!)

Anyway, it's all very exciting, I know hatch rates vary then you've got the possibility of the percentage of boys, but I hope we get a girl or two out of this. (prefereably the wheatan maran or the araucauna!)

 

Mrs B

[The Dogmother]

Let us know what you see when you candle them Mrs B, it wil be interesting to see whether the ones she initially rejected are infertile. Hens can often tell.

[Tara.F]

Lacey is on day 19 now, but there's no sign of anything happening

 

She is a bit more grumpy when we turn her off the nest for her ablutions twice a day, and she's eating even less, just squawking to get back in.

 

We candled a couple of times, but it's hard to see with blue eggs

according to the pictures and film clips on the internet, they don't look live and they don't look dead

So the waiting continues

[BeckyBoo]

Hi Tara, are you actually having to turf your hen off then? I kind of thought Speckle might at least get off to eat and drink, but maybe not then? As of this morning she's taken all 7 eggs under so I'm hoping it was just her bad mood yesterday. I shall dread kicking her out for food, she nearly savaged me when I took her fmr the Eglu to the broody house

 

Mrs B

[Tara.F]

Lacey is quite mellow when being moved now....once she'd settled in her little broody coop she seemed totally 'blissed out' when we lifted her.

 

We put her back in the eglu run for about 10 minutes morning and evening (we shut the eglu door first or she runs straight in there ). She gives herself a little shake, eats, drinks, poops and then has a little dustbath before 'asking' to be let into the eglu.

We open the door and in she goes, straight onto the nest box and we open the pophole and lift her back to her broody coop

 

She was never a friendly bird, I'm hoping that being handled so regularly for three weeks will chill her out a bit

[superjules]

We're on day 19 here too!

 

Mrs B, I haven't had to lift my girls, I can tell if they've been out that day because of the mega poop in the run. As long as you can see signs that she's been out, I wouldn't bother disturbing her.

 

My SLW bantam, Bossy, is a totally ferocious broody, I'm Tara.F!! She keeps trying to chew through my leather gardening gloves every time I go near her . Hence, no candling been done here, we'll just wait and see what happens!

[superjules]

Let us know what you see when you candle them Mrs B, it wil be interesting to see whether the ones she initially rejected are infertile. Hens can often tell.

 

Mine were fooled by a golf ball, they're obviously not as intuitive as some!

[CockADoodleDoo]

omg! does he actually have an eglu? last time i was there he was telling me how they wernet very good and was telling me all the bad points about them.

He's a nice guy though isnt he, and he has some lovley hens!