Broody Watch 7 – The Abby Edition

Yes, that’s right dear readers!  Our very special and most beloved Abigail has finally gone broody, after teasing me all spring and making Claire take the first plunge.  Sneaky little Abby girl.  🙂

Actually, she went broody Thursday of last week, but I had her sitting on a couple of plastic eggs while I waited for a special delivery of hatching eggs. See?  I was promised by my DH that if Abby went broody again, I could give her hatching eggs procured from somewhere off the farm.  I am a member of a chicken group on FB, where people post pictures of their chickens and also sometimes sell eggs/chickens, as well as provide tips and how-tos.  I’ve learned a lot from them.

I was able to purchase hatching eggs from another member of that group, a nice lady named Donna.  All Abby had to do was hold tight and wait until the package arrived.

Things to note:

• Thirteen eggs is a LOT more that I gave Abby the last time she went broody and more than I gave Claire, either.  If anyone else decides to go broody in the next week or two – I’m looking at you Penelope – I fully intend to just sneak a couple, two or three, out from under Abby.  That way, the (hypothetical) new broody won’t stay broody long and Abby will have some room on the nest for her!  We’ll call it sharing the love.  🙂
• I still don’t own an egg candler, so I still won’t be able to check and see how many are viable.  Not too worried about Donna’s eggs, but Abby’s sweet little eggs are questionable.  I have  2 roosters (one of which doesn’t get much action) and 12 hens.  The eggs I eat every day seem to be mostly all fertilized, so I’m giving Abby’s eggs an 80% probability.
• I still owe everyone the Week 15 & Week 16 posts for the Mystery Bin girls and their brooder mates.  I have the pics, but just haven’t started it.  We’ve been busy in the rest of real life.  I’ll get it done soon.
• I also need to weed the garden soon.

I think that’s everything!  Estimated hatch date is July 13th, 21 days from today.   I am unsure if the day they were laid will hold any bearing on when they hatch.  But they were all put under her today.