Recent content by donnaleedreams

5 chicks successfully adopted by the 1st broody mother hen!!! One very stinky egg did explode or crack or something, so I did take out all the other eggs and toss them. She's been setting for over a month now (and letting other hens lay more eggs for her to set.) So now she can just focus on...

I did try moving her to a crate early on, but she wouldn't have it. Okay, I have one of her chicks just @ 72 hours old...I'll try moving that one to her today/night and see what happens. She is now in the tractor with the newest chick and is doing fine with it! YAY! She's right in the middle of...

She hasn't left yet. I need to keep a close eye on her today. I want to move her into the tractor, but in there, I won't be able to "quietly slip chicks under her". I thought letting the hen do all the work was going to be easy! But not if the hen doesn't know what she's doing!

Update!: 2 more chicks tried to hatch, one dried and shriveled up before it's hatch was complete. I was afraid of the second one doing the same, so I pulled the half hatched egg and brought her inside for support. I put damp warm paper towels surrounding the egg and broke tiny pieces of eggs...

I tired returning it this morning. I think it's still considered an intruder. Hen was pecking it, so I brought it back inside. I was hoping if others hatched, the hen would take care of them and I could slip this one in, but so far, nothing is hatching. I think I might have the nesting boxes...

Ahhhh, that second little chick is not going to make it. I did hear her peeping early yesterday (couldn't see a crack though?). Finally after lunch time today is when I decided to bring her inside because I saw actual worm (fly larva?) at the edge of the membrane. I tried to peel back just a bit...

Some are later....but mainly the blue eggs. My ameraucana kept climbing in on top or her to lay more eggs! LOL in fact I caught her there again this morning! But there are many brown ones that have been there all along. The second chick is in the kitchen with heating pad and membrane moistened...

.....well, we took the egg from the hen and made a little incubator with a heating pad inside the house. 2 hours later and Chick has hatched! Now to see what mama hen does with the other 17 eggs and hopefully we can return this little guy to mama. I'm not ready to raise 18 chicks in the house...

Nope. I'm hearing peeps in there but can't even see a crack in any egg yet! AND WE'RE ON DAY 24 ALREADY!!! This little guy is lonely for some friends. :( With 18 eggs to go, I'm hoping he'll have a sibling or two! That poor hen thinks I'm crazy to be checking on her every hour or so.

Thanks, I pulled the egg in question, hopping she'd be okay with the other hatches...but this one, she had gone off the nest for some food and water and when she cam back and it was opening up, I think she thought it was an intruder! We kept it in the house with a heating pad and makeshift...

Help again! Is mama hen supposed to peck at the eggs to help them hatch? Or does she peck at them to kills ones she things aren't going to make it? There is a tiny hole, but mom is pecking at it. I'm afraid she'll hurt the chick. Am I just a first timer 'fraidy cat?

No I don't. I assumed I might loose some. I'm wondering if I might be able to use a heating pad and some towels for just the last couple of days on those stragglers? I would have taken them out had I known those crazy chickens were laying more eggs in their with her, but by the time I figured it...

My hen went broody and refused to let me move her eggs to a safe spot away from the other hens and rooster. Now the eggs are about to hatch, and I'd like to move her to the tractor, within the chicken yard to give her a safe spot to begin to raise her chicks. When is the best time to do this? Do...

Hello, Just want to say hi. We've moved here to Washington a year and a half ago to retire, and are raising goats and chickens for the first time. Just now getting around to joining this group. donna

New member here. We just acquire a young rooster (who we bought as a hen! Now I know why he never seemed to assimilate with the flock so well.) :) I like him and would like to keep him, but we have a rooster already. They basically seem to get along, but at night when they all go into the...