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

[TAJ]

As you know from the other threads I have a eglu ready for my broody hen (I had to wait until after the local produce show as I took some hens down in this eglu yesterday) and hatching eggs arrive Tuesday - I go to transfer her in there on a few eggs which I will then swap Wednesday only to discover her mate is in the nesting box of the cube with her and also looks broody! So who do I use?

 

This is them:

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2563.jpg

 

The cream Legbar (right) has been broody all week, but if there are no eggs she goes back with the others no issue, but stays on the nest all puffed up if there are eggs. She makes a noise if I try and move her, but isn't aggressive to me (yet!)

 

The Silver-grey Dorking (left) has sat with her in the nesting box Friday & today, she is not as puffed up and has only been on the nesting box with the cream legbar, not on her own - however she will not let me go anywhere near them and has a viscious peck, so is certainly 'egg defensive' - in the last 30mins she has however got a bloody wound on her side, so I am wondering if the cream legbar has had a go at her, or if she started something and the other one was only defending.

 

So when I get my gardening gloves out to protect myself and move one into the eglu who should it be? My inclination is to go with the better natured cream legbar and lock the other one out of the cube nesting box until bedtime.

 

Tracy

[Redwing]

I think that Legbars can get bored and go off the nest, not read much on Dorkings though so can't really comment on them

[abwsco]

I've a dorking cross and she made an excellent Mum

[Snowy]

Could you set up a pet carrier in the eglu run and give them some eggs each? That way if one loses interest the other can hopefully take over. Would that work?

[TAJ]

well I think I have got it all wrong! - I went out yesterday evening and both of them were off the nest! So I took the Cream Legbar and placed her in the Eglu with a clutch of eggs and she has shown no interest what so ever! Having read up over the weekend I really needed to test her staying power with some false eggs in the Eglu before ordering the hatching eggs (which after a week of search are now due to arrive by courier tomorrow!).

 

The first issue was the Eglu wasn't free until after the allotment show Saturday as I was using it. I couldn't leave her on a pile of eggs in the cube because the others wanted to use it and I needed the eggs for the show.

 

The second issues is that I think I have mis-read the Dorking all together - she never sits in the nesting box unless laying and never attackes me. I mistook this change for broodyness, but now I think the blood on her back was from the Light Sussex attacking her when we took 3 out of 6 girls to the show, I thought I took three that would get on and left three behind that would be fine. I think the 2 newer girls left behind with the Light Sussex were hiding from her in the nesting box after being attacked!

 

So the upshot of all this is I have ordered an incy this morning to be delivered by courier tomorrow (same day as the hatching eggs) - these will be the most expensive table birds in history! Being a novice at hatching (I am confidented/experienced from day old stage) and with 12 eggs arriving I have gone for a R-COM 20 Pro - if it is as simple as it says you just add water & eggs and choose the programme and wait - it sounds as simple as the breadmaker.

 

Tracy

[Lewis]

Typical chickens!

 

Good luck with the incubator, if you don't plan to use it again you could sell it, or even hire it out to get a bit of money back

[TAJ]

Typical chickens!

 

Good luck with the incubator, if you don't plan to use it again you could sell it, or even hire it out to get a bit of money back

 

I was thinking about that - does anyone else on here hire theirs out? I worked out, given a 75% hatch rate (90% being achieved by supplier on same eggs) I would save £10 for every batch I do myself as opposed to buying day olds if I account for courier costs v. fuel to collect day olds, etc. So after 26 hatches the incubator pays for itself - but I only do 1-2 batches a year, so by the time I retire the incubator will just have covered its costs! I think renting it out or providing a hatching service might be the answer.

 

Tracy

[Griffin]

Sell it on Ebay. I made a profit on mine, the winning bidder paid more for it than I did brand new The same thing happened with a birthing pool I sold. Why don't people shop around before buying on Ebay??????? I'm not complaining though

[The Dogmother]

Tracy, my excellent mumy hen is broody again if you want to borrow her - she's a lavender pekin and great at sitting and rearing. You can pop down to collect her this week if you want.

[TAJ]

Tracy, my excellent mumy hen is broody again if you want to borrow her - she's a lavender pekin and great at sitting and rearing. You can pop down to collect her this week if you want.

 

Thanks for the offer, but eggs and incubator both arrive tomorrow and I am at work all week, so I am sorted out for now this lot can go in an incubator and atleast I have it as back-up for the future if I use a broody and she changes her mind at half time.

 

Thanks again,

 

Tracy