[carolbriar]

I have a buff rock hen who is sitting on 6 eggs - 2 welsummer, 2 barnvelder and 2 rhode island red.  Today is day 13!  At the moment she is in one of the nest boxes in the house with my 3 other hens but I will need to move her into the house my oh is making for her before the chicks hatch (fingers crossed that they do).  Would it be better to do it in the evening and shut her in for the night?  I haven't candled the eggs - I thought it was better to just wait and see.  I have been lifting her out of the house each day to stretch her legs and have some food and water.  Once she goes into her own house I will put food and water in for her as I believe it is better to leave them when it is very close to hatching time.  I hope I am doing the right things.  This is the first time we have tried putting eggs under a broody.  Last year she was broody for 8 weeks!  She had been broody for 3 weeks when we put the eggs under her.  I just hope she will stay until the chicks are hatched.  It was a risk putting them under her so late.  This is exciting but scarey at the same time.  Just hope we don't get too many roosters.  If we do then I have friends that would take them, possibly even the guy I got the eggs from.  I got all my original hens from him.  I hope some of the eggs hatch if not all.  The breeder said out of 6 he would hope 5 would hatch. 

It's been so long since I was on the forum.  Hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine today - well we have anyway.  Makes a nice change.

[Jo57]

My silkie cross was broody for well over a week when I put 6 eggs under her. I moved her to a rabbit hutch as I put the eggs under and then to a rabbit run when the chicks were a couple of days old. She stayed the course and five hatched. The sixth was developed but died in egg before hatching. One was injured after hatching and so had to be culled but the other 4 are thriving, 2 weeks old now. It is very exciting and nerve-wracking. I am hoping for hens now. My previous attempt hatched one out of 6 which thankfully I think is a hen (now 6 weeks) All my eggs were postal from ebay. You should have much more luck direct from breeder. Best Wishes. Look forward to new next week.

[carolbriar]

Thanks for that.  It is nerve racking!  I started with my 5 hens 2 1/2 years ago but sadly one died recently.  I have one who I think is an it as he/she has never laid an egg and looks more like a cockerel than a hen.  That leaves me with 3 laying hens.  My broody seems to stay broody forever despite our attempts to get her out of it.  I'm hoping that it all goes well next weekend/Monday and that we have some chicks.  I will get a small amount of chick crumb in to have ready in case.  Also a shallow dish with marbles or pebbles in. I will move her as soon as her new house is ready and shut her in for a while.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed it all goes smoothly! 

[grinling]

I was rec to move the eggs under the broody's watchful eyes.