My partridge wyandotte bantam is broody

November 1, 2012 by sleepinghorse 18 Comments

How do I know Hannah Hen is broody?

Last weekend she started spending extra time on the nest throughout the day.
She got off her nest to lay her egg in the nesting box beside the one she was sitting in.
Then she got back on her nest and sat on her golf ball.
The day after that she spent even more time on the nest.
She got off her nest again to lay her egg in a different nest, this time on the other side of the hen house.
Then she got back on her nest and sat on her golf ball.
Then I didn’t see her for three days. (Admittedly I was at work for most of the days but even so…)
When I put food in front of her while she was on her nest, she looked right through it in a trance.
She stopped laying.

So I guessed she was well and truly broody. How marvellous. Just what I have been waiting for. Hatching my own chicks (well Hannah’s actually)!

I went straight onto Trade Me (equivalent to Ebay) but no fertilised eggs of Hannah’s breed.
I had saved the name of a seller who had previously advertised some and I sent her a message.
Did she have any eggs?
She thought they might all be in the incubator but would check the next morning.
I spent the night with my fingers crossed.
As promised, there was a message the next day. did she have any eggs?
Yes!! She has 5 eggs and maybe more by Monday when they were to be sent on the courier.
EXCITING!
The eggs arrived yesterday all beautifully wrapped and safe.
I left them for the recommended 24 hours in a coolish room.

And then tonight was the night. How to get these eggs under Hannah Hen without disturbing her too much.

I have seen on youtube you can put an egg in front of a broody and she will quickly tuck it underneath.
But not Hannah. She simply ignored it.
So after dark, husband Haitch (armed with protection gloves) and I went out with a torch.
We quietly crept around to the nesting box whispering our plan so as not to disturb them.
I opened the lid to the nesting box.
Hilda Hen who was sleeping in the nesting box beside Hannah, stood up and started chattering quietly.
Hannah was sound asleep with her head tucked under her wing.
Haitch reached down and picked her up without any fuss.
She got a bit of a fright but was too sleepy to complain.
I took away her warm golf ball and put the Partridge Wyandotte bantam eggs into her nest.
Haitch placed her gently back down.

All I can do now is hope that she accepts them.