Unsecure chicken perches

[LucyLynsted]

Hi Guys, I wonder if you could help me

 

I think my gold lace has gone broody - she was on the nest all day yesterday but I just thought she may have one stuck . Then when it was bed time I counted and re-counted and one was missing, I think I was upsetting all the shed as I only thought to check the nest box when a stroppy bluebell made a right old racket and showed me the gold lace back in the nest box - so all present and correct!

 

Today she is still in the nest box - I'm quite prepared to have some chicks as she herself was one of our hatch, but that was when my father-in-law looked after the chickens, this is all new to me and I am learning every day about the joy and worry of looking after my girls.

 

I have 2 questions - firstly, how do I tell if the eggs she is sitting on are fertile? I have 18 girls who lay regularly 14-16 eggs a day - I collected 16 eggs yesterday, should I check those eggs and put fertile ones under her. They run with a helpful cockerel (Noddy), so chances are there's a few fertile ones - and how many should she sit on.

 

Also, should I move her out the nest box in to her own pen, I have 4 isolation cages within the same shed and I can make one dark so it's like the nest box (my father-in-law was very handy with a saw!) - the problem is the other hens still need to lay and as she is sat in one of the boxes they keep going in and sitting next to her!

 

Any help and advise would be great - I have two young children and seeing chicks would be magical

 

Many Thanks and Happy Easter to All xx

[atsw]

Hi Guys, I wonder if you could help me. I have 2 questions - firstly, how do I tell if the eggs she is sitting on are fertile? I have 18 girls who lay regularly 14-16 eggs a day. They run with a helpful cockerel (Noddy), so chances are there's a few fertile ones - and how many should she sit on.

If your girls are running with a cockerel who you have seen 'active' with at least one hen, then there's a high chance eggs from most of your girls eggs will be fertile, especially at this time of year. The only way to tell for sure is to candle a selection after your hen has been sat on them for 6-7 days. There's plenty of advise on how to do this on the forum.

 

Also, should I move her out the nest box in to her own pen.

Yes, you will need to separate her until the chicks hatch and are fledged.

 

I have two young children and seeing chicks would be magical

Yes, it is magical, but not to be undertaken lightly, there's lots to think about, not least being what will you do with the inevitable cockerels that will hatch - these are tricky to even give away, you you must be prepared to cull them yourself.

 

Andrew