Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: too many girls on August 20, 2009, 21:57
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we have 2 left over cobb hens (one was laying and we thought it was a shame to eat her but we didn't know which one so kept both :)) about 10 days ago Harriet vanished and we couldn't find her, we asumed she was the latest victim of a fox (we haven't lost one since Hurley and Boone were taken) 3 days ago Pip thought she'd spotted her at the back of the stables but when we went to look we saw only ducks (i made some jib to Pip about not knowing a duck when she sees one :mellow: (she was adamant it was Harriet as Henrietta was in the garden) whilst i was at work today Harriet turned up in the yard, Pip grabbed her and shut her in a stable before she could vanish again, it was a very smug Pip who said "look what i found?" when i got back, she then told me that Harriet had done the biggest poo she'd ever seen, alarm bells started ringing as i'd heard of broody's and their poos, we let Harriet out and watched to see where she went (in the pouring rain) she had a drink and a dust bath and didn't seem in a hurry to go anywhere but then she beetled off (with Pip and i in hot pursuit) and settled herself on a nest of 15 eggs in a nettle patch at the back of the stables, we have moved her inside (got stung) and made a nest for her (old kitchen cupboard) given her food and water and she settled back on her eggs, the eggs look old and discoloured, we will candle a few tonight and see if they are viable, i have 20eggs in the incy that are due to hatch on the 23rd 6 of them are from our own hens, if all Harriets eggs are duds would it be wise to swap them for the 6 rir's in the incy? Pip thinks if the eggs are dead it's because she shut Harriet in a stable and prevented her going back to her eggs (she was off the nest for about an hour but the eggs were exposed to the elements) Pip really doesn't want to take her eggs away and leave her with nothing., any advice would be gratefully received, i didn't know cobbs went broody ::)
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I would give her some out of the incy if hers are all duds! but that is the big softie in me :blush:, that is what i did with my blackrock! the khaki campbell eggs had been in the incy for 3 days and had candled fertile and she has sat tight ever since! 3 weeks still to go bless her!
Debbie
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we candled 3 of the eggs, 1 was infertile and the other 2 had started to develop but were dead (just a swirling swishsy mass) we will candle the others tomorrow (under the stairs) and if any are viable we'll give them back to her, if they are all duds i think we'll give her the 6 in the incy, she's looking a bit tatty, she's meant to be white but is muddy coloured,smells awful and lost a lot of weight, with a bit of luck and tlc hopefully she will pick up, feel a bit sorry for her sitting outside in the cold all this time trying to keep her eggs warm.....................................
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Tell Pip not to worry about her being off her eggs for an hour - mine was off for several when her coup door closed and I didn't know and we got 4 chicks. 3 chicks now living with poppie in Bedfordshire and 1 living here (this one was half the size of the others but is catching up now :D)
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update, we swapped all Harriets eggs for 6 from the incy last night, when we candled Harriets 7 were fertile and developing, the ones in the incy are due on friday so.................tonight we're swapping them back over again :D
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See said they would be ok :D
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Harriet
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm134/Toomanygirls58/000_0003.jpg)
who's a clever girl then?
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm134/Toomanygirls58/000_0004-1.jpg)
please disregard scruffy state, she had been living rough in a nettle patch...............
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Lovely photos bet Pips relieved and chuffed :D
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in her haste to tell me she had seen a chicks head pop out from underneath Harriet, she trapped her fingers in the door and then fell down the caravan steps :lol:
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Wonderful news! Still love to see a mum with her chicks.
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poor pip, still bet she's relieved and chuffed though :lol: