Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 (edited) Maybe I am panicking over nothing, but she has left the nest twice today. The first time was half an hour or so at about 12 and I've just got back from dropping DD at Gym to find her pacing the run again & I have no idea how long for either.... As far as I know she has only left the nest of her own volition 3 times (several days apart) in her entire broodiness, do I now need to chase over to a friend's house for her incubator just in case she doesn't go back? She has corn & water in the run so she can eat & drink and has a dustbath too, so all her needs are catered for, do I just leave & watch over her or scoot over & get the incy? Advice as always gratefully accepted.....and of all the days to muck about, not a weekday when I can contact loads of bods on here Sha x Edited July 31, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 How about just shutting her in on the eggs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Hi Sha, Not really sure what to suggest I am afraid but shutting her in sounds like a plan. Also can`t hurt to have the inccy ready just incase. I will offer words of encouragment! "COME ON BUFFSTER!!!! SIT ON YOUR BTB!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 I'd shut her in too and hope for the best. It might be worth getting the incubator set up and running (needs 24 hours) just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 I aggree, shut her in and pop and get the incubator. It can't hurt to be prepared, and hopefully shutting her in will make her broody again. I would say be carfule she doesn't get too hot, but in this weather, I don't think I'll bother! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 I'd get the incy as a back-up; our regular broody only gets off the nest voluntarily when she's coming to the end of the broody period; so for me its a clear sign. What day is she on? Also have you double checked the nest/her for lice/mite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 I think she was broody from the weekend before I set the eggs on Thursday 9th in the evening & she should be hatching this Thursday-ish. DH thinks she was broody from the week before, though I am not convinced. I've checked her over most days of her "confinement" as invariably I have to catch her to get her back in the run, she seems to think that going through the run is the order of the day !! I don't think that "visitors" are the problem - boredom maybe?! I've watched her more closely this past couple of days & when she comes off she has a snack of corn & pellets and a drink, maybe a scratch around then goes back within 5 or so minutes. I've stopped letting her out into the garden as she can't then get sidetracked & goes back quite quickly. As I was going out this afternoon - to a very exciting cricket match ( ) I left the door open, as the sun, had it broken through, would have been on the eglu for longer than I would have been happy for her to be shut in & had the risk of overheating - could this be another possible reason? This morning she was hollering in the run early, so I let her out & fed her mealworms then put her back in with a feeder of chick crumbs and a water feeder in the eglu, then shut the door. Having just got back I don't know if she's been out again. If the eggs don't come to their natural conclusion, we will just put it down to experience & try again another time as I can't get hold of the incy owners - sod's law says they are both away at the same time . It'll be a shame, but part of life's rich pattern Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 oh thats a shame - lets hope she decides to sit it out a bit longer. If she was broody before you set the eggs, and as you say she quite likes being distracted by the garden, the it is poss she's just coming to the end of her patience. I don't think she'd have been overheated, tho I suppose its possible. Is she in an eglu? I leave my door open. I can't think of anything else you can do, other than watch and wait, unless anybody reading this has an incy to borrow (what about SPR or whatever they're called - do they do a renting service? Very long shot, I know!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 Thanks Daphne, I should have asked in SPR yesterday when I was in there buying chick crumb & chick feeders & chick leg bands (see, I'm still optimistic!!). I'll give them a ring in the morning & ask the question. I'm not sure I could reasonably do the rearing indoors though as the dogs would take more than a little interest in the babies though, so I'll have a think overnight & see which way to go. One of the incy owners has an instant reply message which says she's back to work tomorrow, so I'll get hold of her then too in theory. Yes she is in an eglu, I've put a cat litter tray of hemcore & DE in the back of the poo tray rather than leave her in the diddy nestbox over which she spilled to a rather alarming degree !! I had been leaving the door open all the time. Today, apart from when she was hollering early on, I don't think she's been out. Maybe she was hungry as she didn't eat a vast amount on Friday night either. My plan, once the eggs hatch, is to top up all around the litter tray with hemcore so the littlies are on reasonably level ground. I think the gap at the back of the poo tray as it normally is would cause a draught which they may not appreciate. When they are bigger & Buffie is taking them out into the run I'll take out the litter tray & lower the level of the hemcore...does this sound reasonable? I've got everything crossed that things go well, I think the children will be so disappointed, even DH will be too! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smanners Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 (edited) Hi Sha, My broody was a bit sporadic in her nesting, sometimes getting off a couple times a day sometimes none. Around the 18th day she didn't budge again until they hatched on day 20! Maybe Buffie is having a final fling before getting ready for final sitting. Fingers crossed she can hold on til Thurs It's an anxious time isn't it? Good luck Sophie Edited July 26, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 Hi Sophie, Yes it's almost worse than hatching your own baby! At least you have a certain amount of control over that, although every baby who has been born has taken control of the situation eventually I suppose!! I hope she'll settle now & stop giving me collywobbles, I'd like to go out a couple of days next week with Omlet and the children to the New Forest Show...I hope she doesn't put the mockers on that the minx, the rest of the holiday is hers & the chicks!!! BTW are you going to the NFS as it's not a million miles from you? Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smanners Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Hi Sha, I agree with the having a baby thing Mixture of excitement and panic Hadn't thought about the New Forest Show in fact tbh I haven't been for years (usually rains and difficult to park ) but................ as Omlet are there well that's tempting Could only do Weds as I'm working the rest of the week so might persuade YD to come along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hi - good news on the incy front! I know this is going to sound daft but do you have a room like a downstairs loo that the dogs don't go in? I know some people put a brooder upstairs to keep it out of the way of pets! Actually if you have to hatch in the incy what are you going to do about a brooder? or is the incy an incy/brooder? Regarding your set-up in the eglu - is the cat tray going to have the water/feed in it as well as mum and the chicks? Is it big enough? Or is the food/water going in the entrance bit but on top of 3-4" of bedding so its at the same height as the cat tray? Otherwise you could (with a bit of fiddling) cut a cardboard box down to fit in eglu and completely cut the front out (the bit facing the eglu door) and put the food/water there with enough bedding everywhere to make it the same height but the cardboard gives them a protective windshield and cosy space. Keeping my fingers X for you. I expect you've said somewhere else but is the broody one of your orps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Thanks Daphne, I may go a-hunting for a cardboard box to butcher & if the weather improves today ( ) I may even go & do the alterations when she gets up! And yes Buffie is one of the Orpies. She seems to have settled back on the nest again, but I will probably go & collect the incy & heat lamp later today...just in case! The lady who holds the "school" incy rang me back this morning, & is happy for me to tootle over later. The Friends of..at school bought an incy & brooder stuff to hatch chicks with several years ago, but only one batch were hatched before the teacher who had asked for the equipment and coordinated the project left . It's sat in the "caretaker's" cupboard since then, hired out by another school & she's used it a couple of times to ensure it all works still...would have been a total waste of money otherwise!! I could get on the treasurers soapbox now, but won't as I'm handing all that over soon !! Good idea about the downstairs loo though should we need an indoor brooder.......we have 2 loos upstairs so that shouldn't be a problem Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Well this morning, when Lady Muck got up I whizzed out with a bucket of teatree dosed hot water to give the eglu as thorough a wipeover as I could manage without removing the top...not easy through the egg port . It was slightly easier because I could move the eggs in situ in their litter tray & clean everything else...I just hope she's not harbouring anything else in with them She went back in very suspiciously as, of course, it reeked of red mite powder & fresh hemcore too, but settled happily enough. (I'd covered the eggs with a layer of hemcore whilst I was doing the housekeeping & parted it a bit when I'd finished, so she could see them. They didn't seem overly warm ) The law of sod says that the recycling went out yesterday, so I need to find some cardboard from another source today so I can make a "windbreak" in the eglu. I discovered that there has obviously been some rain driving into the eglu, as there was an area of damp hemcore (underneath a layer of dry ) next to the nestbox in the doorway, and a small puddle under the poo tray. Another excellent reason for putting her in the litter tray (thanks Em!!). Maybe this was why she's been fidgety? Later I shall crawl into the run & replace the hemcore which I put in there all fresh for Buffie, and put down a liberal dose of "fairy dust" (stalosan) & hope that keeps everything sweet & clean enough for the little loves. I've put an extra sheet of corrugated plastic over the top of the run nearest the eglu to keep it dry and as draught-free as I can manage, I'll put a windbreak along the end nearest the door so at least there is some air movement at that end. Crikey, Buffie has it easy; she sits on her eggs, is handfed, gets checked for nasty visitors (of which she seems to be free thankfully!!)...I'm the one with all the fretting & heavy work........I'm coming back as a chook Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Bless ya! I def want to be one of your chooks when i come back fairy dust and litter trays! great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 well I'm inviting you round here - my house could do with some of your TLC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 .........so could my house ! I have cobwebs which could be used as decorations if sprayed with glitter !! And could write reams of "I Love You"s in the dust (a house is not a home until you can write I love you in the dust!) Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 it is the night before the day!!! Do you think Sha is outside with Buffie in the rain ready with hot water and towels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 No way it's chucking it down out there, she's on her own !!! Having just read the sad post about the passed on broody, I am now slightly worried about her.... though she's not the first to have a cluck of chicks and won't be the last...and has certainly been up & drinking if not eating properly as we have been refilling her water cage cup lots. I've used a cage cup rather than a glug so I can see if she is actually drinking. I've stopped kicking her off the nest as she seems to be getting up & having a drink then disappearing back into the eglu, once a day I will let her out for a wander & feed her some mealworms, but today for example because I was out & DH doesn't like to let her out incase she doesn't go back in , she got up, stayed in the run & might have had a snaffle of corn & dried mealworms but definitely had water, so I'm not so worried. She does have a water and chick crumb feeder in the eglu with her, which I'm pretty sure she's had a nibble at, so she's not starving. I'm now saying to the children "but they may not all hatch" to prepare them should the worst case scenario occur....we are all still very excited though as we are all being optimistic!!!! We saw 2 light sussex hens and a cockerel today at the New Forest Show...and they were huge, bigger than my hybrid/battie band which I thought they were the same size as...I'm glad Mum will have gone back to the rest of the flock before they are too big as there would be no room at all in the eglu with her fluffy bum in residence too!!! One more sleep to go....................... Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Just been out for a quick check & Buffie is snuggled down & clucking gently to herself, she almost fills a cat litter tray on her own ! Am shattered after a long day at the show, so I'm off to bed now, nighty night!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Keeping fingers crossed I'd just make sure she's food and water and not make her get off the eggs now. She'll come off on her own if shes desperate for a poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 watching and waiting with you..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 I CAN HEAR CHEEPING UNDER BUFFIE!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I am slightly excited...... Sha xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Great news Sha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
