Aunty e Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 They're currently sitting on some mixed bantam eggs (a lovely man sent me a mixed selection) in a modified rabbit ark. I bought it for £50, and then went over it, sticking extra screws in, new bolts on the doors, screwing the floor in the house down and putting a base on the run section to fox Mr Fox. They're sitting next to each other in the house bit and seem quite happy, although I think a bit of egg stealing might go on, knowing Penny. Anyway, all in all, it's not been expensive, and if they don't hatch, I shall buy some day old chicks and do a crafty swap. They're so determined to be mummies, and the farm is happy to take any excess birdies we end up with, although I'm so impressed with my Ark, I might see if we can keep one or two.... I'll stick some photos up when I get a sec. 21 days and counting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Isn't that lovely, can't wait to see pics! BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Ooooo, baby chickies! Don't get me started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 If we had the space I would love for my girls to be able to hatch a few. Cannot wait to see the pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melcotton Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 sounds fantastic - I'm hoping one of mine goes broody next year! Mel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 Cross and slightly upset. I went away for the weekend, leaving the lodgers (who were aware of my broody hens) the usual 'keep an eye on the chooks, collect the eggs and top up the water' message. I find out from a mutual friend that my IDIOT lodger 'collected' the brooded eggs. Now he put them back almost straight away, and I haven't spoken to him yet, but when I got back, I found Penny sitting on most of the eggs, Kitty sitting on three and several that were stone cold because Penny is too small to sit on that many or they'd been pushed to the side. I'm really annoyed. I'm assuming now that the cold ones will not hatch, but I won't know until I candle, which of course I can't do until ten days. I don't know if he put them back as I had set them, at opposite ends of the house, with five under Penny and seven under Kitty, but I somehow doubt it. I'm trying to hope he will say yes, in which case I have only the stupidity of birds to blame, and after candling I can either throw them all away and start again, or remove the dud ones and leve them under one of the broodies, removeing the other one (I'm thinking Penny, the egg stealing monster). Anyway, sorry to rant, but I put soo much into arranging this before I went away, so the chicks would hatch while it was still nice and warm, and now it looks like it's been a TOTAL waste of time. And I won't even know for seven days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Oh, how annoying for you Fingers crossed here for a happy outcome anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Typical man. They take everything literally Hope things turn out ok for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Oh what a shame maybe some will hatch karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 How annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 That early on they might be okay you can put fertilised eggs in a fridge for a week and still get them to hatch they kind of hibernate once they start to grow it can't done but in the first few days it is okay Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted August 22, 2006 Author Share Posted August 22, 2006 Here's hoping. I shoved Kitty into a shoebox with her eggs (breaking one, idiot, idiot,idiot) too stop madam from stealing anymore eggs, so let's see how it goes. Candle in a few days and I should be able to see what's going on. I have got twelve (well eleven now) and I only really wanted four or five chicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 good Luck, shame about the one egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Keeping everything crossed for you Aunty e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 I reckon they should hatch ok, well at the usual rate of failures. I bet you were spitting aunty! I would've been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted August 23, 2006 Author Share Posted August 23, 2006 I was absolutely furious. He was very lucky I was a good few hundred miles away when I found out. And what's worse, he hasn't been remotely apologetic about it. I've left chicken books out, ostentatiously open on the brooding section in the hope that he'll realise that it really is a problem. Well, candle in a few days and see how they're going. Penny has once again nicked the larger clutch of eggs. I think she doesn't really care where she sits as long as she has more eggs than Kitty. Little wretch. Anyway, she seems to be better at keeping them warm and together than Kitty, so if there are a number of duff ones, I may amalgamate the clutch under her and stuff Kitty back in with the others. I'm glad i did the shoebox thing though, as the ones in the box are much warmer than the ones just iin the straw bed. I'm going to do another for Kitty, but I didn't want to this morning without being able to hang around for a bit, as the shoeboxes seem to disconcert them a little, and I'd hate them to abandon the eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swindon_clucker Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 hopefully when you candle them they'll all be ok and if you end out with more than you want you did say the farm is willing to take them. So good luck and wings crossed. At least no more can be stolen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladylucan Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 Well, i too have a broody hen, so being crafty, told hubby i had to get her some eggs to sit on, and just as if by magic, i had 6 Lavender pekin bantams suddenly appear!!!, Dont quite think hubby has realised what i have done, !!, bless, though he did tell me today that i had to look around at plans for a new hen house as i will need a bigger one, and he said that without the usual digs, etc, !!!, so either he mellowing or he really hasnt cottoned on!!, well we are down to 18 days now, not that i am counting, so we shall see how it goes, fingers crossed for you to Aunty E xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Ooooooo this is soooo exciting Good luck Aunty e and Ladylucan Keep us informed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 2, 2006 Author Share Posted September 2, 2006 Update on Chick situation! I'm going to take some pics this afternoon of the Broodies in their Ark, but last night I candled, using a desklamp and a cardboard box with a hole cut out, not brilliant, but all I could come up with. Anyway, like I said it wasn't great, a couple of the eggs had really thick shells and I couldn't see through. A couple of them looked like this But the majority of them looked like this If you go to this page you get a guide to candling with these pictures http://www.homestead.com/shilala/candling.html I couldn't see all that much, but I'm hoping that I'm getting some chicks, even though I couldn't see anything moving as some people have. One of the eggs had a long crack in the shell (they're only at 15 days at the mo, so deffo not hatching) and following a tip from Practical Poultry, I put some nail varnish over it. I'm tentatively excited, but I've still got a list of hatcheries in case I need to buy in day olds. Hatching my own would be so much more fun though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 Well, i too have a broody hen, so being crafty, told hubby i had to get her some eggs to sit on, and just as if by magic, i had 6 Lavender pekin bantams suddenly appear!!!, Dont quite think hubby has realised what i have done, !!, bless, though he did tell me today that i had to look around at plans for a new hen house as i will need a bigger one, and he said that without the usual digs, etc, !!!, so either he mellowing or he really hasnt cottoned on!!, well we are down to 18 days now, not that i am counting, so we shall see how it goes, fingers crossed for you to Aunty E xx I made the mistake of planning and telling OH BEFORE getting the eggs and he worked it out and we got a brody cage Good luck to both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 I've got a broody sitting on four eggs from Lesley. There are 3 Barnvelder bantam eggs, although we doubt the fertility of them as the cock hasn't been seen treading the hens. Plus one Whitestar egg. I would like to hatch a barnvelder hen to keep, and Lesley is happy to have the others back when they are old enough to leave mum. I am so excited, and so are Rosie and Phil. We will have to candle the eggs in a few days time to see if they are fertile - can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 after seeing the Barnvelder bantams at Lesley's I am slowing convincing Joe that I can have one!! He's slowing down on the so perhaps he's coming round!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Time never passes as slowly as when your broody is sitting on eggs - it's a bit like the watched kettle that never boils ! Good thing about bantams is that they usually hatch a bit earlier, at around 19/20 days. Fingers crossed - Barnevelders are gorgeous . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
