2 Broodies and 14 chicks next week

[Kurczaklover]

So I missed the Easter hatch along, however, I did succeed in encouraging 2 Dotties to be broody. Once I convinced them sharing a nesting box wasn't in their best interest(yep, fun, broken eggs AND sparring with TWO broodies to clean it)they have sat on eggs dated the 28th until 4/7. 5 good eggs each, 28's filling the nest. The plan, in theory, is to slide the babies coming next week under my Queen Fluffy Butt,(will.go to the mats to protect her golf balls; her first broody was end of Dec, 4 weeks 20 ish degrees, ALWAYS have to check her pits for the other girls eggs, uber dedicated), and her eggs under our Fluffy Butt-in-training, giving her a total of 10 eggs, removing the 28's. This is our first time doing this, so I expect it will be a very fluid situation. Sny thoughts, insights, and experience welcome!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Glad you were able to separate the feuding mommas. Never good when they tromp on eggs (and chicks) vying for them.

I've got 3...yep...count them 3 hens broody. (After 10 years, this never gets old)

Barred hen (can't remember her lineage) One has 8 eggs under her....6 of my Cream Legbar/CreamLegbar-Barnevelder F2 so chicks will be 75% Cream Legbar...coons got all but one of my original Cream Legbars so really, really hoping this breed back to grandma (who is now 5 years old) to her grandson will produce some pretty turqouise layers like the grand lady does. I also have 3 Barnevelder breed backs that I started with the other hen, Brownie, but she wasn't truly dedicated at that start, so they got moved to Barred Hen.

Then once Brownie settled, she got 6 of my deepest brown eggs. (It may be 8...I have to recount). Hopefully they will be developing as all my darker brown egg layers are aging.

Then, I just had another Barnie breedback go broody (She's actually F2 barnie/cochin/barnie). I may reset her with other eggs.

I'm surprised but I sort of took last summer off from hatching (Covid crazy lock downs, 108 degree weather, summer was just baaaaaad)....and now I'm realizing I've got an aging flock...big hawk kills this winter... and need more babies. <3

As to pointers...Absolutely resist temptation to peek, peek, peek especially on days 19 and 20. Let the hen do her job. She is in lock down. If you have main coop hatching where other eggs can get in the way, let them sit if you can...unless there are so many that it might interrupt the hen setting on the clutch...otherwise toss after all hatching is done.

Wait by for peeps on days 20 and 21. Don't peek until day 22, removing empty shells and quickly counting little heads. Candle remaining eggs at that time. Just be sure that babes have easy access to food and water after hatching.

My flock is so chill now that I can main coop brood, and the flock moves over to the other coop to leave mommas alone. (Having growling hens attacking you also encourages the others to move on

Keep thread going, and we'll see how our mommas are doing. I set on 4/29 and 4/30...then on 4/06. <3

LofMc

 

[Kurczaklover]

How exciting! So many neat babies coming! In my check yesterday, they have between the 2 of them 3 eggs from my Easter Eggers, 2 from my Leghorn, the other are shades of brown, and if I looked at them I could tell who's, but I didn't want to disturb that much. My roo is a hefty barred rock. I peeked yesterday and today, to make sure they aren't adding to them. I'll leave them be now.

The new babies coming are 2 Rhode Island reds, 2 New Hampshire Reds, 2 black Australorp, 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 Wellsummer, 1 Ancona, and 1 Norwegian Jaerhon. I look forward to seeing your babies! I don't have 2 separate coops, and the hens have settled on the 2 darkest nesting boxes on the end, leaving 4 others. We are building a nursery/isolation addition this weekend, but that isn't helpful for these two

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Checked last night....8 with the Barred hen (yippee 5 blue eggers and 3 brown eggers)
Only 4 are developing under Brownie, but that would be adding another 4 brown eggers.

Cochin2 is sitting on duds until I decide what I want to do. I probably will set some olive egger F2 under her.

I've definitely overset this year...but you know....maybe 75% to 50% hatch...with main coop hatching, one or two wander off or get picked off by hawks....then of course 50% will be roosters (and re-homed or culled)....so all told of the possibly 16 set...I hope to have 10 to 12 hatch...5 to 6 new hens...and that's what I want 5 to 6 new hens.

I'm terrible at getting photos, but I'll try to. Of course the hens in the OLD falling down shed are the ones that decided to brood. (I've got a lovely NEW shed they don't like!) Hubby was planning on working on the old shed to redo the roof...but not yet. LOL.

Of course don't get rid of the OLD sheds...it just means MORE chickens. <3

LofMc

 

[Kurczaklover]

So my dedicated mama hasn't moved, but the newbie got off her nest and went to sit on a pile of the current days eggs. I collected them, and she returned to her nest. I figured they were a loss, but let her sit since I had babies coming. Today. So went out, found she is now sitting on numerous broken eggs, so babies set up in a temp nursery, fixing to go out with my sons, scoop her up an wash her booty in a dishpan of soapy water while the boys scoop out, wash the nesting box, dry it and replace the bedding. We have some dummy eggs to put in there. Should we wait to add babies tonight or mix them in with the dummy eggs? so they appear while she is running around to get back in the nest?? Or should I scrap the idea of having er mother and just mother them myself? Between the baby kittens, chickens, chicks and my sons father having a massive stroke in the last 24 hours, I can't seem to make a decision. HELP!

 

[Kurczaklover]

BABIES. I so need the feel good today!

 

[Kurczaklover]

or should I move my potential mama to where I want the babies set up?

 

[Kurczaklover]

We got my 80 lb dogs kennel set up with some temp eggs, washed our wanna be moms under carriage as my son said, put her in it an covered it. She was walking in circles around the eggs and singing and ticking like a time bomb. I'll keep checking on her and decide after dark if we are going to try swapping eggs for babes.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

So sorry you are having crazy day and the health emergency. That takes precedence.

I would not trust the newbie hen. She sounds unsettled and possibly flaky. If you had nothing but time and can repeatedly check on her, you could try with chicks and newbie. But you'd have to check repeatedly on her and get to her early tomorrow and follow tomorrow as well...which might not be worth the added stress at this time.

Can the trusted mom take the newly hatched? Or are her babies too old. You shouldn't mix newborns with week olds or older as mom won't sit with newborns enough.

Unless you have the time and energy or can tolerate the possible risk to chicks with the new mom, I'd simply artificially brood these chicks unless you just can't handle one more thing to take care of.

Hard choice in the circumstances.

First priority is the dad's health needs and support. Chicks are chicks. Food and water and heat. Choose how you can get that to them the easiest.

Prayers for a speedy recovery

LofMc

 

[Kurczaklover]

Fortunately my office is in my house so hourly walks to the chicken coop are pretty normal. Godzillas mom is still sitting on eggs with another week ish to go, heaven help anyone who goes near her, lol. I just checked on on the mama we moved, she has already broken the new eggs, so we are going to call it a wash, remove the tray and nesting in the morning, and proceed to try to break the brood and mother the babies ourselves. Just a case of life dropping a lot too fast.