CAMPYLOBACTER: Anyone else had it?

[Mum]

Sienna laid her first egg yesterday (yay, Sienna!) and today, she's been in and out the nest boxes trying to decide which to sit in. After a (long) while, I decided they could do with a bit of corn (still snow on the ground here) and thought she would have "finished". She shot out of the nest box to snaffle some corn ...

 

... I peeked inside to get the egg, except there wasn't on. What there was was a golf ball I'd had in there to show them "where" to lay and she had rolled it to the back of the nestbox and that was what she was sitting on.

 

I took it out. She went back to the nest box and got quite agitated, back to going from one to the other Then I thought hmm, is she missing her golf ball? So, I put it back into the nestbox she'd been sitting in. She saw it, went in, moved it around a bit, them promptly nestled down on top of it

 

Now, if she is broody, the plan is to move her to my broody coop, purchase some fertilized eggs and let the wonders of nature do its stuff. I don't relish driving a 40 mile round trip to get some fertilized eggs if she is just being a bit dopey and sitting on the golf ball while she waits to lay.

 

My instinct is she is broody; but she only laid her first egg yesterday (She's a Buff Sussex)

[lindafw]

when I got my buff sussex I was told she would go broody at the drop of a hat......she never has gone broody in 2 years lol...maybe your bird has my birds broody drive

[Sue]

Leave her on her golf ball for 4 or 5 days. Take her off each day at least once to make sure she has something to eat and drink, and a good big pooh, and if she keeps going back and stays all day and all night then take a chance, though first year broodies can be unreliable.

 

You can get hatching eggs sent through the post, and although it is a bit chancy most work well. Someone had some from me and hatched 8 from 12 last week, and I have 2 lots due to arrive in the post on Monday morning

[Mum]

Thank you, to both of you, for your replies and the time it took to post them.

Leave her on her golf ball for 4 or 5 days. Take her off each day at least once to make sure she has something to eat and drink, and a good big pooh, and if she keeps going back and stays all day and all night then take a chance, though first year broodies can be unreliable.

 

You can get hatching eggs sent through the post, and although it is a bit chancy most work well. Someone had some from me and hatched 8 from 12 last week, and I have 2 lots due to arrive in the post on Monday morning

 

Thank you so much for your detailed, informative post - really helpful!

 

Except, now I know my instincts are totally flawed The little madam snuggled that golf ball like a comfort blanket and then, laid her egg!! I'm nominating her for next years Oscars

 

Have to confess to being a tad disappointed; hatched some eggs last Spring and it was the most humbling, yet amazing, experience. I was all eggcited there for a few hours

 

Old saying: "Do not count your chickens until they are hatched!" ... or, in my case; "Do not count on a broody until she shows more signs!"

 

I do appreciate the advice/experience though, so thank you, BOTH!

[BizzyMomma]

Awww Sienna you Drama Queen you, getting your Mam all eggcited like that

[Mum]

You've summed it up far better than I did!

*renames Sienna, DQ!*