[MrTwang]

One of my Cotswold Legbars has decided to try her hand at motherhood.  :blink:

So she has been on the nest for around 5 days now, with me lifting her off twice a day to poop, eat and drink (not very much...).

Yesterday I ordered 12 Speckled Cream Legbar eggs and will be delivered today.
First question, is 12 eggs too much for her to sit on??


Next I have a dilemma............... ........... ........... She's taking up most of the space in the nestbox and causing a traffic jam for my other 5 girls! One laid on the bars and it broke and fell through yesterday...

To combat this I have built a new nest box! Put in straw so they can get cosy... I then tried to put my broody into the box with the fake eggs she has been sitting on. She was in there for 2 mins (result I thought) then found the exit! She's straight away gone for the orignal nest even though I moved the eggs. I have now put them back under her into the orignal nest...

The 6 of them live in an Egglu. I am worried that when the chicks hatch they won't be able to get out due to the height to eat and drink....

I know that the mother and eggs should be in a seperate run and nest box but if she keeps trying to go for her old nest how can I persuade her to sit on my new fresh fertile eggs??

I will build her a new run tonight to put the new nest box in.

Please any advice would be greatly welcomed!!


Paul.

[grinling]

When you put the broody in shut the pop hole on her and she will settle. 12 eggs should be fine. I didn't seperate my broody first of all and Pecky laid her egg with Poppy and broke a same size egg thus leaving hers in place.
Put the eggs in tonight after they have rested and leave her in overnight.

[joyfull]

the eggs need to rest for 24 hours anyway so no need to rush. When her new broody coop is built (I assume you are building her a run to go with it) then place the eggs in with her and shut her up in the dark until the following morning - it is best to do this in the late afternoon or early evening.

[MrTwang]

Hi all, thanks for the advice!

Yes I will be building her a run to go with her coop! I don't want the others getting in there...

[grinling]

Poppy has  had the portable run added to the rabbit hutch so she can take her 3, 3 day old chicks out. Quickly discovered they can walk through chicken wire, so boarded the bottom of the run.

[MrTwang]

OK, it seems that Royal Mail has taken their time to deliver the eggs........

Ordered last Tuesday they arrived today. 8 Days later. 

Will they be usless now and be fit for the bin? My broody is 2 weeks into sitting... Is it unfair to put them under her if they will still be ok?


Paul.

[ANHBUC]

You need to find out when they were posted as the delay might have been the breeder waiting to have enough eggs to send to you.  What class of post were they sent, Recorded, Special Delivery or plain first/second class? 

I complained to a supplier of eggs before for late delivery as my broody had been sat for over a week.  I got a refund and still managed to hatch 5 out of 6 eggs.  The broody did suffer a little as she lost loads of weight and ended up with a cold.  A trip to the vets with chicks in tow and some baytril fixed that.

[MrTwang]

They were sent out 8 days ago... 1st class recorded.   

He is going to send some more but just worried about my broody...

[ANHBUC]

Put food and water within her reach if you think she is not eating enough and loosing weight.  Layers pellets mixed with hot water to make a porridge and allowed to cool should tempt her.  She will benefit from food and water at the same time.  Still lift her off the nest so she can stretch her legs and do her buisiness.  Check for lice and mites as they are prone with sitting for so long.

You should be able to make a complaint to the Post Office about the late delivery.

[tatiana916]

My broody had golf balls under her for a week and a half before I managed to put real eggs under her and I've heard of someone's broody lasting over 5 weeks!
My broody never stayed in her broody coop. I had such problems with her. No matter what I tried she would jump over the fence/ climb through a hole/ go under the wire. In the end I had to give up and corner off a bit of the main coop!
Hatch day tomorrow though so all the hard work will hopefully pay off.

[MrTwang]

Hatch day tomorrow though so all the hard work will hopefully pay off.

Any luck with the hatch?

[ANHBUC]

Hatch day tomorrow though so all the hard work will hopefully pay off.

Any luck with the hatch?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=96224.0