Colorado

[swift081702]

This may be a silly question, but will a hen fight a rooster? I was watching my two chicks (6wks old) and they looked light they were fighting. They were going head to head. I thought one was a Silkie Hen and the other a Cochin too. Now, I'm wondering if the Silkie is also a too??

 

[samsr]

This may be a silly question, but will a hen fight a rooster? I was watching my two chicks (6wks old) and they looked light they were fighting. They were going head to head. I thought one was a Silkie Hen and the other a Cochin too. Now, I'm wondering if the Silkie is also a too??

They will play fight with each other as they find their pecking order with each other. Its kind of cute the way they do the chest bump thing as well as putting their neck feathers up. Not to worry. It is normal and doesnt mean that they are roos.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Yes. I have had 5 hens go for one ill-mannered roo at the same time. I thought they were going to kill him. He has proper lady wooing manners now....

Sometimes hens know how to set eggs, but know nothing about chick care, having had those traits bred out of them through trying to maximize egg production. I have multiple hens that want to set eggs, but only one that kinda takes care of them.

 

[samsr]

I have one gosling out as of this morning. Looks like it is a toulouse. I had forgotten how cute they are at this point. I am still waiting on the other pipped one to hatch.
Here is a couple pictures of my chicks that hatched over the weekend. It is amazing the size difference between the little round one and everyone else.

 

[Ashdoes]

Hey guys, been a while since I was last on here. Last time I had a hen hatch peeps in the dead of winter and while she did her best only 1 of 3 survived. Pepper the peep is now happy among the flock.

The reason for writing today is that I let an older hen who is perpetually broody finally have her nest and she carried all 9 eggs to completion except she's now lost four. Two are out and one more just emerged that I saved because otherwise it would have died.

Two things: I think the membranes are drying out too fast and the peeps get stuck. Mamma must not be humid enough however TWO: she's a big bird and I fear she's crushed them.

Has anyone had this happen to them? It's so odd because everyone seems like they're the perfect peeps except they look like she stepped on them as the eggs are often crushed with the peeps still inside. She has tons of room and is in a private area of the coop so I'm not sure what's happening. Two more eggs to go and I think one is a dud and the other is still making noises and moving inside her egg. No pip yet.

I'm not sure I have the stomach to let my hens hatch peeps any more. I don't know if doing or failing to do something that causes them to have such bad survival rates.

Any help is appreciated.


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That is exactly what happened to my hatch Tuesday. We had one that died in the shell, right after pip and one I ran in the house and tried to save but also passed never making it out of the shell. They seemed very dry. My girl is a big Cochin, and the babies weren't crushed they just didn't work to get out. Sadly, that how it goes sometimes, and there isn't much you can do about it. Natural selection is a *****, but it's for a reason. Maybe they were too weak, and if so, they would always be an issue for you and the flock.

 

[Ashdoes]

Yes.  I have had 5 hens go for one ill-mannered roo at the same time.  I thought they were going to kill him.  He has proper lady wooing manners now....

Sometimes hens know how to set eggs, but know nothing about chick care, having had those traits bred out of them through trying to maximize egg production.  I have multiple hens that want to set eggs, but only one that kinda takes care of them.

My Cochin boy gets whooped on at least once a day by the older hens...I'm sure he'll learn eventually.

 

[COChix]

@uzisuzuki Did any of those babies hatch? Been a couple days since the 21st day so was just curious.

Any suggestions on a system that works for candling a lot of eggs? I have 42 to candle tonight and I am thinking I might take a row of eggs out at a time, put them in an egg carton while I candle and take pictures. Then after the row is done I can open the bator and put them back and get the next row. Or am I being too concerned about opening and closing the bator a whole bunch. Thoughts?

 

[Ashdoes]

@uzisuzuki Did any of those babies hatch? Been a couple days since the 21st day so was just curious.

Any suggestions on a system that works for candling a lot of eggs? I have 42 to candle tonight and I am thinking I might take a row of eggs out at a time, put them in an egg carton while I candle and take pictures. Then after the row is done I can open the bator and put them back and get the next row. Or am I being too concerned about opening and closing the bator awhile bunch. Thoughts?

I stopped removing eggs to candle. I just put the light on top of them, see veins or not, and move on. Like you, we would do large numbers at a time and removing them was a hassle. Leaving the top off isn't a big deal. That's why the newer Brinsea incubators having a cooling feature, because they found cooling time actually helps hatch. Much like when the broodies get up to eat and drink.
My candler (is that a word? Lol) is a bright, super skinny flashlight. Works great.

 

[COChix]

I stopped removing eggs to candle. I just put the light on top of them, see veins or not, and move on. Like you, we would do large numbers at a time and removing them was a hassle. Leaving the top off isn't a big deal. That's why the newer Brinsea incubators having a cooling feature, because they found cooling time actually helps hatch. Much like when the broodies get up to eat and drink.
My candler (is that a word? Lol) is a bright, super skinny flashlight. Works great.

Ash my candler is a mag light flashlight and a toilet paper tube. i would like the experience of candling so I am going to attempt to do each one, at least that is what I think I am doing, lol. I say that cause it might change, like 10 more times, before tonight.

 

[ryan820]

Good snowy morning all! Here in hidden village parker we have about two maybe three inches of heavy wet snow. I went out to check my hen and her nest and the three peeps I had alive yesterday remain so and are fuzzy and happy with mom. The final egg quite literally fell open during my inspection so I will check again in an hour to ensure she's ok. Not that I can do anything for her anyway. Still unsure what caused the other peep deaths and crushing. I wonder if the other hens got near her and due to the critical period in her hatching she got upset....may never know. The peeps that I found dead seemed very healthy. No outward signs of weakness of malformation.

It's snowing hard right now but if you go out in it its mixed with rain drops. Thank goodness for water.


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