Hatching with 2 broodies

[MistyMountain]

How exciting!!! Yes I have had girls lay w/o me ever seeing them do any of the..."I am getting ready to lay an egg" follderol. Then there are those like my Petunia who is like Goldilocks looking for the spot that is "just right" all the while telling us all that she is planning very soon (within 4 hours or so of when she begins nest shopping) to grace us with an egg. Some girls are quite about it. My sizzle, Julie Taylor, is stealthy and she has never squatted for me...actually most of my girls haven't squatted.

Congrats on the new egg! so sorry it was broken but hope your heart is resting easier. 3 egg layers...time to whip up a souffle!

Here is Ike...I have him semi penned up today but he can get out where the girls can see him and he can see them. He already did his courting dance for the group...they were overall unimpressed but wanted to know if he had any treats to share
.

In broody news Godiva is in the weaning process and so is Gracie Belle. this leaves only Norma with her 6. 3 of them have noticeably darker wings...I think those are my little girls. I will try to get a pic for you today. They are 2 weeks old.

I have all of my June chicks who have been weaned together in one pen. They kind of have a blast together and it is fun to watch them. Predator proofing a coop so that I can move my cockerel conglomerate into their own digs. My big Del boys are getting too big for their britches and chasing the littles and starting to be kind of obnoxious.

That's all I have to say about that! Enjoy your days peeps!

Tg I loooooove Ike! I am leaning toward the NH route too. Chica is so hard not to love and if her personality is a good representation of the breed… then I'm hooked!! Can't wait to see more of him! The crazy 9 stowaway leghorn cockerels are driving me crazy too. Hormones are raging and they are targeting the pullets who are not at all interested. They will even try to pick on the hens, which never turns out well for them. Willie does his best to keep the peace, but something's gotta give.

Yay, Tina!!!
I don't think you should be worried at all. Sounds like she had a rough first egg, but will be fine. Rousseau's first egg was bloody, and she's a good little layer now, if on the loud side. It might be harder for some birds than others. Amazing how different chickens are. Lucy and Tina are the same age, but Lucy started laying in March! Between Silkies being late bloomers, and our being in different hemispheres, it definitely makes a difference! It'll be interesting to see if Lucy lays through the winter.

Ike is very handsome, TG!

I think Grace and Frida have it down, now. They made it back onto all the eggs after their breaks this morning. Marsha is a little bit of a pain, as she seems interested in laying in the new nest and kicking Frida out. So, it's a good thing Grace is one of the broodies this time, since she's the only one who can really stand up to Marsha.

Oh, and Jan was chatting with me and sort of checking out the (main) nest today. I'm not giving up hope on that one!

I'm still a Jan fan!

Thanks liz! It is good that you aren't giving up on Jan. My colored egg layers are the most fickle egg layers...they take days off for heat and for cold and for moulting and in protest of whatever. Glad your girls are figuring out the co brooding. It will make both of their lives easier!

Shhhh do not tell my EE's that yours get paid time off…. they are about all I got laying these days!!

Not much new here on the homestead, chicken-wise. No one laid eggs in the corner of the coop today, so that's a plus. It got too late last night to do surgery on Curly's foot, so I decided to wait til today. Today started off like any other day. Wake up. Let chickens out. Start a load of laundry. Jake, my youngest, woke up and I decided to get him right in the shower to get that taken care of. We had my oldest's first soccer practice tonight and I wanted to get ahead while I could. Once Jake was out and fed breakfast, I went back downstairs to switch out laundry and start a new load. I am still not caught up from the no-water-collapsed-well problem of last week. Well… I made it almost into the laundry room and Splash Splash! Ugh. Laundry room flooded. We have a finished basement and the water was seeping out into the den and on the hardwood floor. UGH. Mr. Fix-it, who planned on cutting up the tree that fell at the bottom of the driveway set to work finding our septic tank access. We had an idea of where it was thanks to a rough drawing and measurements on the wall of our utility room. Well… apparently it is IN our driveway. Yeah. Under gravel… which is on top of old pavement. Who puts their septic tank in the driveway? Better yet… who paves over it? Fast forward all day and DH found it. The tractor helped get the pavement up and lift the lid. The pipe was clogged and basically non-exisitant. Got that cleared but decided we have had a few too many surprises this week so we are going to have the septic pumped out while it is uncovered. New slate… no more surprises. Whew. Crazy day. Rough week. In the end, though, we're all home safe, happy and healthy… all these problems are just little things.

 

[lizgarf]

Tg I loooooove Ike! I am leaning toward the NH route too. Chica is so hard not to love and if her personality is a good representation of the breed… then I'm hooked!! Can't wait to see more of him! The crazy 9 stowaway leghorn cockerels are driving me crazy too. Hormones are raging and they are targeting the pullets who are not at all interested. They will even try to pick on the hens, which never turns out well for them. Willie does his best to keep the peace, but something's gotta give.

I'm still a Jan fan!

Shhhh do not tell my EE's that yours get paid time off…. they are about all I got laying these days!!

Not much new here on the homestead, chicken-wise. No one laid eggs in the corner of the coop today, so that's a plus. It got too late last night to do surgery on Curly's foot, so I decided to wait til today. Today started off like any other day. Wake up. Let chickens out. Start a load of laundry. Jake, my youngest, woke up and I decided to get him right in the shower to get that taken care of. We had my oldest's first soccer practice tonight and I wanted to get ahead while I could. Once Jake was out and fed breakfast, I went back downstairs to switch out laundry and start a new load. I am still not caught up from the no-water-collapsed-well problem of last week. Well… I made it almost into the laundry room and Splash Splash! Ugh. Laundry room flooded. We have a finished basement and the water was seeping out into the den and on the hardwood floor. UGH. Mr. Fix-it, who planned on cutting up the tree that fell at the bottom of the driveway set to work finding our septic tank access. We had an idea of where it was thanks to a rough drawing and measurements on the wall of our utility room. Well… apparently it is IN our driveway. Yeah. Under gravel… which is on top of old pavement. Who puts their septic tank in the driveway? Better yet… who paves over it? Fast forward all day and DH found it. The tractor helped get the pavement up and lift the lid. The pipe was clogged and basically non-exisitant. Got that cleared but decided we have had a few too many surprises this week so we are going to have the septic pumped out while it is uncovered. New slate… no more surprises. Whew. Crazy day. Rough week. In the end, though, we're all home safe, happy and healthy… all these problems are just little things.

Oh my goodness, MM! What a crazy day! I can't imagine. I would have a hard enough time dealing with the 9 cockerels, let alone a flooded basement and a torn-up driveway.

Thanks for being a Jan fan. I remember you always cheering her on! I need to get a photo of her sleeping on the roost one of these days. Her face puffs up around her beard and muffs and she looks like a big feathered zeplin.

Grr, the broodies left a couple eggs uncovered a few times today. Just now, it was both of Lucy's eggs, which are going to be the hardest to candle! I wonder what's going on with those two - there aren't too many eggs for the two of them. They just seem a little distracted.

 

[tommysgirl]

Tg I loooooove Ike! I am leaning toward the NH route too. Chica is so hard not to love and if her personality is a good representation of the breed… then I'm hooked!! Can't wait to see more of him! The crazy 9 stowaway leghorn cockerels are driving me crazy too. Hormones are raging and they are targeting the pullets who are not at all interested. They will even try to pick on the hens, which never turns out well for them. Willie does his best to keep the peace, but something's gotta give.

I'm still a Jan fan!

Shhhh do not tell my EE's that yours get paid time off…. they are about all I got laying these days!!

Not much new here on the homestead, chicken-wise. No one laid eggs in the corner of the coop today, so that's a plus. It got too late last night to do surgery on Curly's foot, so I decided to wait til today. Today started off like any other day. Wake up. Let chickens out. Start a load of laundry. Jake, my youngest, woke up and I decided to get him right in the shower to get that taken care of. We had my oldest's first soccer practice tonight and I wanted to get ahead while I could. Once Jake was out and fed breakfast, I went back downstairs to switch out laundry and start a new load. I am still not caught up from the no-water-collapsed-well problem of last week. Well… I made it almost into the laundry room and Splash Splash! Ugh. Laundry room flooded. We have a finished basement and the water was seeping out into the den and on the hardwood floor. UGH. Mr. Fix-it, who planned on cutting up the tree that fell at the bottom of the driveway set to work finding our septic tank access. We had an idea of where it was thanks to a rough drawing and measurements on the wall of our utility room. Well… apparently it is IN our driveway. Yeah. Under gravel… which is on top of old pavement. Who puts their septic tank in the driveway? Better yet… who paves over it? Fast forward all day and DH found it. The tractor helped get the pavement up and lift the lid. The pipe was clogged and basically non-exisitant. Got that cleared but decided we have had a few too many surprises this week so we are going to have the septic pumped out while it is uncovered. New slate… no more surprises. Whew. Crazy day. Rough week. In the end, though, we're all home safe, happy and healthy… all these problems are just little things.

I will happily send you hatching eggs when I get my girls

Farm life...I get all wistful sometimes about living like I grew up but your story exhausted me. You are a better woman than I am,

Oh my goodness, MM! What a crazy day! I can't imagine. I would have a hard enough time dealing with the 9 cockerels, let alone a flooded basement and a torn-up driveway.

Thanks for being a Jan fan. I remember you always cheering her on! I need to get a photo of her sleeping on the roost one of these days. Her face puffs up around her beard and muffs and she looks like a big feathered zeplin.

Grr, the broodies left a couple eggs uncovered a few times today. Just now, it was both of Lucy's eggs, which are going to be the hardest to candle! I wonder what's going on with those two - there aren't too many eggs for the two of them. They just seem a little distracted.

Liz I love the description of Jan. My Rosie had a lovely beard but it has been plucked but the other girls...I hope it grows back when she molts.


ETA Uh duh...I mean AFTER she is done molting!

 

[Teila]

Ouch! MM those are the kind of days you should just give up and go straight back to bed!

I really do hope that work eases off a little soon so that I can spend more time keeping up with all the news. I do read the posts every morning before work but before I get around to replying the 'fun' begins

So, while I have become more like the Team lurker, I still think of you all often and love reading your posts and beautiful pictures

 

[tommysgirl]

Teila don't worry we will have have times where we wont be able to be here so much. My time is coming up as school is starting, For your sake I hope work mellows out but we will all be here when you can post more thoroughly.

Everyone....do you have any thoghts on this bird. I was sure it was a cockerel b.c of the comb development but now at 12 weeks it is making me wonder. The last two pics are the parent birds at roughly the same age...a little yournger I am stymied! She is 12 weeks old.
















Other than her comb and wattles she looks more like Harriet than Ozzie. Oz already had his sickle feathers and he was way more colorful. All opinions welcome. O and H were about 10-11 weeks here.

 

[MistyMountain]

Cielo. I love him.

 

[ItalyChickie]

Hi team! I didn't mean to be missing in action for so long, but August is one crazy crazy month... most of Italy is off work and enjoying summer, while I continue as usual, so that means having to juggle work and lots of social things, and obviously chickens and the rest... anyway, if I disappear again during this month, you'll know why!

Can't really catch up on everything right now, though I did a quick read-through - gorgeous pictures and chickens everyone! Just a few quickie comments, hope I don't miss anyone or any important news.

Welcome back Liz, it's great to hear from you. Looking forward to seeing your grandchicks! I'm also a Jan fan! Maybe she's just taking her time, like a real diva?

And TG, I'll have to catch up on all the going-ons over at your place, but it seems like at least I won't have to remember any new in progress hatches at the moment. of course, with that much red, if it's a girl, she should be close to laying. That said, I had two pretty much identical chicks in my first hatch this year - bright red comb and all, yet they turned out to be a pair. Sometimes they just like to keep us guessing...

Teila, I used to have that same camera though an older model, it was great! Sadly, it stopped working a few months ago, and it costs more to repair than to get a new one, so just sticking with the phone for now...
And congratulations on your new eggs!!! Go Blondie and Tina! I'm sure you're no longer worried, but I also have some girls that don't make a big egg-laying scene, and some blood on the first egg isn't uncommon, so as long as she is acting normal, I'm sure she is fine. Oh, and I also have had some 6-7pm eggs. Rare, but happens.

Sonya, congrats on your egg too! The first ones are so exciting! Your party sounds great, I'm sure they all had a wonderful time. How are the babies doing? My bantams are growing lots of feathers, but not getting much bigger, or maybe it just looks that way since I keep comparing to standards. Doing splendidly though, Pallina finally calmed down enough not to attack all the others that come near, and they're mingling with the standards, the bigger chicks, and everyone else.

Misty, the 3, maybe even 4, on the left look like girls to me, harder to tell with the others - I agree that pink on white can deceive...
Wow, you had one crazy day! Hopefully the only surprises for the next few days will be good ones!

In my news, Ombretta has decided to join Cenere for a second co-parenting effort! She didn't even seem broody at first, just concerned/curious with what Cenere was doing. It was actually quite funny to watch - she'd sit on the edge of the nest box and look in every now and then, as if to ask "So, are the chicks here yet?" Then she moved in though, so now they're happily co-brooding. Since they made such a great team last time, I'm letting them be for now, since the eggs are in the bator anyway (Cenere is clumsy the first days when she goes in and out a lot) and will improvise a separation just for the hatch day, then let them raise the chicks together. Marans and Australorps and surprise eggs are what's cooking... will keep you posted, hatch date is August 21st.

I think that's all for now... I'm sure I missed a bunch of people and news and I'm sorry! I'll make up for it when I'm less busy.

 

[Teila]

Good morning Team Broody!

Wow TG that is a tough one to call! I have looked and looked at the pictures and definitely just my humble opinion/guesstimate but I am going to go with rooster. Only because of the size of the comb, the stance in one of the images and the legs look very solid. Having said that, I would not be surprised if she was, in fact, a she .. definitely a tricky one. He/she is somewhere in the middle when compared to the parents at a similar age.

Thank you IC, yep Tina is fine now .. back to her normal noisy self. Probably due for another egg today (or tonight! Lol). I am interested to see if she just drops this one wherever or actually makes a point of laying in the nest box. Blondie has laid three tiny little cute eggs now.

Love the "So, are the chicks here yet?" . Fingers crossed for a successful bator/co-parent hatch.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go .......................

 

[16 paws]

Teila don't worry we will have have times where we wont be able to be here so much. My time is coming up as school is starting, For your sake I hope work mellows out but we will all be here when you can post more thoroughly.

Everyone....do you have any thoghts on this bird. I was sure it was a cockerel b.c of the comb development but now at 12 weeks it is making me wonder. The last two pics are the parent birds at roughly the same age...a little yournger I am stymied! She is 12 weeks old.
















Other than her comb and wattles she looks more like Harriet than Ozzie. Oz already had his sickle feathers and he was way more colorful. All opinions welcome. O and H were about 10-11 weeks here.

The body looks like a pullet but the waddle and comb look like a cockerel. Looking at pictures of mom and dad I would say boy.

 

[16 paws]

Cielo. I love him.

Magnificent Roo!!!!!
I am in love