Here we go...

[LaurenRitz]

Finally someone went broody! A second is showing signs but hasn't committed yet.

 

[The Ranch Girl]

Yay! How exciting!

 

[silkiefied]

Good luck! I hope all goes well

 

[LaurenRitz]

She would only take 6. She kicked out the rest so they are now in the incubator with a few more.

The second hen broke. I currently have 8 week old chicks and they love sleeping in the nesting boxes. For some reason she doesn't want to compete with them.

 

[LaurenRitz]

She's still pancaked. Has 6 eggs under there. I haven't seen her come out, but she has definitely shifted position and she's still bright-eyed and hissy a week in, so she must be eating.

Two of the eggs in the incubator are clears. I removed them this morning. That leaves 14, incliding her 6.

The other hen broke. Unless someone goes broody in the meantime, the BxJGxJG chicks will go in the brooder. That will give her 9 if they all hatch, and she'll only be raising her own babies.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Good luck. Mama hen raising chicks is possibly the most adorable thing on earth. I'd love to have a broody to hatch. Everyone said Buff Orpingtons go broody, but I've only had 1 in 30 that was a broody mama. Sadly she died last month before she went broody this year.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Two more I think are early quitters out of the incubator batch. We'll see what they look like at lockdown. 7 days to go.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Mama is looking tired. I told her 5 more days and she gave me the stinkeye.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Countdown begins. 4 days...

I found one of her marked eggs on the floor of the coop. I suspect it's dead, but we'll see.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Lockdown. She is now sitting on 3 or 4 eggs. I candled the one I found out in the run and if it was fertilized at all it was an early quit. I found a partial egg that she had apparently kicked out.

I have 6 eggs remaining in the incubator. All appear full. The goal is to brooder raise the BielxJGxJG eggs (yellow feet) within sight of flock 2, and let her raise only her own babies (BielxJGxBA, white feet).

We'll see. She's faced out in the nest, spitting at anyone who approaches, and talking to her babies.