So Barb, I was wondering last nite...

How do you end up getting baby chicks if you don't want them? You collect and eat the eggs, right? Do the hens hide them or something? I'm thinking that's what's going on...

Sorry... missed this earlier.

Most hens lay eggs and walk away from them without a care in the world and no desire to sit/brood/hatch the eggs. (It takes 21 days of brooding to hatch an egg). Every so often a hen will "go broody" and decide she wants to hatch, and once they make that decision, it is very, very hard to get them to change their minds! (Some folks who are SERIOUS egg sellers will simply slaughter a broody hen because they are not in the business of raising chicks, and when a hen is broody - she is not laying eggs). I tossed this gal off her nest numerous times a day for four days before giving up and letting her have at it. This time however, I only gave her three eggs, when in the past I would normally put seven or eight underneath. (duhhh...) The only reason I didn't give her just one is if it was an infertile egg or "bailed" midterm, she would continue sitting and sitting trying to hatch, and since they hardly eat or drink while brooding, I try to avoid that scenario. Chickens... what 'cha gonna do?

BTW.... 103 degrees today with heat index of 110...

Edited by Barbara Schuler (07/23/2010 08:09 AM)
Edit reason: typo

That 'heat' is coming this way tomorrow & Sunday. Supposed to be in the very high 90's & very humid. Gee, I can't wait. YUCK!

Barb, thanks for all that hen/egg info. Very interesting

I can just imagine trying to keep a hen off some eggs she wants to hatch...broody...what a good description.

Glad you figured out about limiting her clutch

Stinking hot here too..we made it to 100, and tomorrow the same or worse.

Monday...88!!! Can't wait!

 Quote: leih merigian

Monday...88!!! Can't wait!

I've got to keep my cheaters on my head... at first I thought you said "Monday...BB! Can't wait!" I was trying to figure out what that meant... maybe your new pup arriving or something?? (We need info on that by the way...)

Eighty eight sounds like pure heaven to me and normally I'm bitchin' about THAT heat! It is all about perspective, isn't it?

 Quote: barbara schuler

I've got to keep my cheaters on my head... at first I thought you said "Monday...BB! Can't wait!" I was trying to figure out what that meant... maybe your new pup arriving or something??

You're killing me here, Barb<legs way crossed!>

We're getting down to the finish line...Geyser'll be arriving within 2 weeks! (Just add about a gazillion exclamation points there).

She'll be 6 weeks old tomorrow, and so far, the assessment is very very strong prey drive, solid environmental, sound nerves. I don't know which of the two girls I'm getting yet, but that's fine. I'll know soon.

I should probably try to do the photobucket/link to pic thing, since I'll need to learn that anyway...I have a nice shot of one of the girls...

I hate all that computer s***

OK...let's see if this works...

http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq214/leihmer/WhiteGirl55weeks.jpg

OMG, I'm like a computer genius! It worked!

 Quote: leih merigian

 Quote: barbara schuler

I've got to keep my cheaters on my head... at first I thought you said "Monday...BB! Can't wait!" I was trying to figure out what that meant... maybe your new pup arriving or something??

You're killing me here, Barb<legs way crossed!>

We're getting down to the finish line...Geyser'll be arriving within 2 weeks! (Just add about a gazillion exclamation points there).

She'll be 6 weeks old tomorrow, and so far, the assessment is very very strong prey drive, solid environmental, sound nerves. I don't know which of the two girls I'm getting yet, but that's fine. I'll know soon.

I should probably try to do the photobucket/link to pic thing, since I'll need to learn that anyway...I have a nice shot of one of the girls...

I hate all that computer s***

Get over it... we love puppie pictures!

 Quote: leih merigian

OMG, I'm like a computer genius! It worked!

I'll say it worked! What a cutie. Keep practicing, we're going to want many more pictures of the baby pupper.