We're deep in the throes of molting, so I'm only getting one to three a day from ten layers. I still have one hen with chicks and a wannabe broody, so I guess that's about right. The broody is VERY persistent, but NO. MORE. CHICKS. THIS. YEAR! :rant
I'm so sorry you had such a horrible loss. That must have been devastating! It's amazing how much hope the little things bring, though. Your new babies are a good start!
I didn't plan on hatching AT ALL this Spring ... but The Girls certainly have minds of their own, don't they?
I got 11 eggs and one serious stinkeye from a wannabe broody, today. She didn't get to keep any, but I'm absolutely positive that this game isn't over, yet ...
That's impressive! I was being silly though, giggling over how many hens it would take to get 789 (7, 8, 9?) eggs a day from backyard chickens. Now THAT would be a feed bill! :D
(Still smiling over that one, while wishing I could have more ...)
If they're all appearing in the same nest box, you might want to put a liner in it to make clean-up easier. I hope you can figure out who has the issue and that it clears up easily!
Unfortunately, no. This little thief has eggs stolen from at least two different nests. I'm thinking the first chick must have been an earlier (third) set. When that one hatched so far ahead of the others, it was likely pushed out as an intruder and disappeared. Poor Baby.
Not yet. She's sitting on stolen eggs, so that one was likely from the first batch she hijacked. She has four more swiped eggs that are either duds or should hatch in the next day or two, then she has the nine from the Easter Hatch-along. They're "due" Saturday. I may just pull them all tomorrow...
Nine today, not counting one completely zipped egg with my broody ... and NO sign of a chick! I don't think it could have slipped out of the rabbit hutch holding the nest, but I guess it's possible. I'm more concerned that Mama may be to blame. She wouldn't be the first hen that got really upset...
After four and six the past two days, I came in with SIXTEEN today from just twelve layers. I finally found the latest "secret" hidey-hole! I swear, bantams must be part cat. They can squeeze into some of tiniest little places!!