Meet the fluff balls!

[clothmama]

So she obviously isnt' as she was sat in with Doris when I went out this morning, the nest had a nice comfy looking sitting hole in it though! I'd like a few eggs to start with and a bit more time to get organised really but at the end of the day I got them to go broody so would have been exciting too!

[clothmama]

These girls are going great guns - I've had an egg almost every day since 9 days after I got them (she must have bee thinking about it when I last posted). They don't like being handled and I don't think they ever will but that is fine! I actually discovered that they have viable rooster sperm in an internal sack that can last up to a month so I collected about 8 in the end that were fertile (I checked one) but they haven't gone broody so we ate them Here is the fertile egg - they are pretty cool eggs - 40gm compared to 60gm for a normal egg but the yolk doesn't seem much smaller:

Yesterday for the first time there was 2 It is amazing how different they are - I know who's laid what eggs by the shape! Doris lays the very round one and Hermione the longer one

[clothmama]

Terrible layers Silkies - get them to be mummies but you wont' get many eggs I read everywhere. Today is the 2nd day in a row of getting 2 eggs

I actually thought Hermoine might be going broody as she was in the nest box all morning but must have just been taking her time

[clothmama]

I didn't post in here and I'm frustrated as I'm not sure now exactly what day but looks like it was last Friday that Hermione went broody (based on on the Sunday I posted that that was the 3rd day). On a chicken forum I use one of the knowledgeable people said she always waits a week before putting eggs under her broody's to make sure they are serious and gives her time to collect them. Today I picked up 5 Aracuana (blue eggs), an Australorp, an Orpington Splash, a Bresse, and a surprise one so tomorrow I'll put them under her. The lady I got them from was lovely and explained I need to lie them on their side for 24 hours to settle after travelling in the car before putting them under the hen, I didn't know that so happy she told me.

How exciting - hatch watch thread to be started tomorrow