Oh NO you don't!!!

[Skinny rooster]

My two little Easter eggers are super layers, I don't think I ever had bantams this good before, everyday non stop eggs, also my Brahma bantam is laying every day as well but she just finished raising chicks all summer so she took a break from laying. People ask if the ee's ever tried to hatch, I said no but they certainly take the name Easter eggers to heart because they love to hide their eggs everywhere. I even let them build up some eggs but no hatching so I figured they came from laying only stock. This weekend one is in full hatch mode! I said "oh no you don't" and promptly put her in a rabbit cage. My hatching addiction is dulled by my lazy addiction and I don't want to be fussing over chicks at the end of September beginning of October!!!


Of course image how pretty the chicks would be off my buff Brahma hen and Easter egger rooster.

Nope lol, she is staying in the cage.

[windwalkingwolf]

The struggle is real. I've just had two muscovies and a hen go down, and another one thinking about it. I trust the hens to keep chicks cozy in cool weather, but not the muscovies. I could just let them sit and brood the babies myself, but that would potentially mean babies in the house for most of the winter. Ugh. But I've only had 2 ducklings survive so far this year, so I'd like more. *Sigh*

[kenya]

Yup I've got 4 broody at the moment. I've said no way as well, but their still sitting. Just had one hen hatch out 12 chicks, thankfully shes looking after them but its a pain finding separate lodgings for them. My bantam ameraucana are amazing layers as well and one I think has been broody most of the summer, I just keep taking the eggs away.

[Jaye]

I feel your pain, Jan. I can't imagine the work involved in keeping ducklings in the house over winter, but with the duckling losses you've had this year, I can see why you're waffling.

[Jaye]

@kenya , IKR? We've been scrambling to put together last-minute separate lodgings too, and all our other outside work had to be put on hold again. Plus the baby raccoons that made an appearance earlier this year are back, so everything had to be reinforced in a hurry. A word of advice for anyone in the planning stages of building a coop and run, DON"T leave a tree in the run. It's a security nightmare. We think we finally have it sorted, but....

[Skinny rooster]

Ducks in the house! No no don't do it lol. It's bad enough to have ducks in the barn, yes I know how cute they are but I also know how much of a mess they make!

So it came close yesterday, I have all these Brahma eggs sitting on the counter but I thought about chicks in November and gave my head a shake.

Speaking of buff Brahma bantams, I have had four totally unrelated families and all were really good layers so it must be in the bantams to lay well. I said my Brahma is laying every day but that she spent the first part of the summer raising chicks so had a break, that wasn't a fair statement of her. I say that because she I believe is close to two years old and lays well, compared to my black Wyandott bantam, she is only turning one year this month, has only ever laid an egg every second day and has never given me one egg since she finished raising her chicks at the exact same time as the Brahma over a month ago.