NannyP's Hens

Towards Easter 2005, Blue began to act a little broody. As the days continued she established herself in a nestbox, settling on any eggs she could steal from her sisters! I didn't need much more prompting to hot foot it to the country store to buy some plastic eggs for her to sit on.  I brought them back and she settled down for the night, with her clutch of fake eggs.  She looked very pleased with herself and when I went to let the hens out the next morning, there she was, happily keeping her eggs warm, plus the eggs she'd stolen from the others!

So, I then needed advice about what to do next.  I was about to go away for a few days and wasn't sure whether to set some hatching eggs beneath her before or wait until I came back .  I asked my friends on the Practical Poultry Forum http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi for their advice, and after considering all the advice, decided to move her to the Ark, and fetch some hatching eggs on Good Friday. I may sound calm now, but I was very excited and didn't sleep so good that night.

The next morning, Blue was still sitting on her fake eggs, looking a little confused at her new surroundings.  We set off for DTB Centre in Crediton www.dtbcentre.co.uk  with half a shopping list of eggs.  After a stroll round, looking at the hens, we decided on what eggs we wanted.  We bought 6, 2 Bantam Orpingtons (these will be any of Blue,Black or Splash), 2 Copper Head Marans, who'll lay lovely large brown eggs and 2 Buff Pekin Bantams, who lay tiddly eggs but are very pretty birds with feathered feet.

So, egg box in hand, I made Mark drive slowly back home and I steadied them all the way as much as I could, it seemed very odd to be carrying an ordinary egg box with, what I felt, such precious contents.  I then needed to leave them to settle before setting them beneath Blue.

Next, I had to make her a suitable nest, not well practiced at this, I did my best, using a sutiable box secured on our visit to DTB.

So, here she is, still sitting on plastic eggs, but in her State of the Art nestbox.

This is her home for the next 3 weeks, chicks take 21 days to hatch, allowing for warming, 26/03/05 is counted as Day 1.

After a few hours, I swapped the plastic eggs for the real eggs, having allowed the real eggs to reach room temperature.

She was not amused, despite being at room temperature, they were quite cool to her body heat, so she clucked crossly at them for being cool and not hers!! She did gather them, ungraciously under her for a while. But when I checked half and hour later she'd moved off them.  I had been told to do this in the dark, when she was sleepy, impatient me had not waited for dark!! Anyhow, I put her back and she stayed, and each time I check she was still there. And this is where she has stayed all day today 26th March 2005.  So, this is the story of Easter Chicks being started rather than hatching!!

Each day she should come off the eggs for 20 minutes or so, to stretch, to drink, to eat and most importantly poo (big, round golf ball size). Well this is all important information, you wouldn't want me to leave anything out would you 

So, for the next couple of days, I'll be here to watch and check she's doing her thing and then from Tuesday for a few days she's on her own. One of the forum members has suggested that she needs peace and quiet and that me going away is just what she needs Thanks Stamina!!

So, the chicks are due on 15th April.  I expect only 3 or 4 will hatch and we've been told that the fertility of the pekins has not been so good this year so far, so we could be lucky to get 1.  50% could be cockerels, so we'll have to decide what to do with them, we may grow them on and eat thembut we'll wait and see.

WATCH THIS SPACE

14th April 2005, 1600hrs, I came home to this.........

4 of the eggs were pipping. 2 pink ones are Bantam Orpingtons and we will not know what colour they'll be til they hatch.

They could be Blue, Black or Splash.

The 2 white, tiny eggs are Buff Pekins, both are pipped and you can hear their tiny sqeaks as they battle to leave the shell.

All of the chicks can be heard cheeping and tapping as they break through.

How I managed to sleep last night, I don't know, but I did.

 

15th April 7am

This is what I found............................

Looks like a Blue to me, but then I have know idea what a splash looks like, we'll see how she turns out.

Black Orpington Bantam, wanting to go back to where it's warmer thanks.

Tiny, feathered footed Buff Pekin, looking newer than the other 2.

 

Midday 15th April 2005

Blue chick again, looking gorgeous.

The others were not interested in a photo shoot and Mum was getting quite upset and it started to rain.

So, the other Pekin has just hatched, the 2 Marans eggs I cannot tell how they're doing. I have heard that eggs can hatch upto Day 25/6, so I'm not worried, she's still happy to sit on them.

 

16th April 2005

Jo, my daughter, has decided this one will be called Muppet, so say Hi to Muppet

who may be male or female?

Someone suggested this chick looks like a baby penguin, say Hi to Pingu 

 

Here they all are, out in the sun, with Mum.

One of the Pekins, yet to be named (that way, we won't have to eat them).

This will be Mark's job, as he wanted hens with boots/trousers on.

NannyP and Pingu, who may be a roo!!

 

Late afternoon, out in the sun with Mum, in the open run. This means I cannot do anything but sit and keep guard from cats and others, although Blue does a very good job and is very protective. As you'll see, she makes some odd chicken like decisions too 

Oops, how did I end up here and them in there??

 

Well, we'll have to snuggle as close as we can!

Aunty Rosie come to visit, but is only interested in the corn.