notherearenttoomany
Chirping
- Jun 11, 2020
- 56
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One of my 13 month-old Black Australorp girls went hard core broody in early April and since I couldn’t break her, I decided to give her all the eggs laid on Saturday, May 17. She sat tight on 8 eggs but since she insisted on brooding in the favorite nest box, eggs were added daily. The original 8 were marked and I pulled the new ones daily. In the tussle for favorite box, two eggs were broken and both were certainly in early development. I broke one egg when I was candling (newbie mistake). 5 fertile eggs remained. My intention was and is to let the hen hatch and raise the chicks with the flock. I know it’s risky, but I‘m well set up for it and since chickens have managed to reproduce without human intervention in the past, I’m sure they still know what they’re doing. So the experiment begins.
I was greeted on Friday morning, May 7 by this little darling in the coop and the entire flock was standing around staring at it while mama was off getting a drink.
I was concerned she had abandoned the nest when the first chick hatched, but it was unfounded. She came racing back in before I even had a chance to go looking for her. And she sat tight while the next two hatched throughout the day. See the blue one in the back? I caught that chick hatching on video and it was amazing!
And then there were two...
The third hatched late Friday evening and I noticed the largest blue egg had pipped, so I expected that one to greet me Saturday morning. Sadly, I was greeted by three live chicks and the fourth lay dying. The box was occupied by another hen sitting on two live chicks, and there was no blue shell in the box. I suspect the non-mama hen “helped” the chick because it was fully formed but didn’t seem to have completed the hatching struggle. I removed the intruder and guided mama and her one wayward chick back into the box. Three healthy chicks, one seeming to be dying. I checked about 30 minutes later and it was still not standing, so I culled it since the others were beginning to peck at it. The fourth egg has not pipped today and she’s been off the next quite a bit with the three, so I suspect it’s no longer viable. I found it cold several times today. If no action tomorrow, I’ll pull the egg and leave her to raise the three. They are darling and precocious, and she seems to be a good mama. She’s not highly ranked in the flock, but I haven’t seen any aggression from the other hens or the rooster, so I’m hopeful.
They are all solid black at this point, but identifiable by some underlying fluff. My flock is mixed and the rooster is a mix as well, so who knows what we’re getting? The first two hatched from EE hens, and the third was either an Australorp or Barred Rock. My rooster is a mystery cross but I suspect silkie x Copper Marans. He and his two sisters have black skin and extra toes. The sisters are fairly small and solid black, but Dwaine has some gold flecking on his neck and green in his tail. He’s large and lovely, and a perfect gentleman so far with my family and his ladies. Very proficient with fertilizing those eggs, too—and his genetics are strong. Chicks all have the extra toes and black skin. Someday I’ll learn about chicken genetics but for now, I’ll enjoy the wonders of chicks.
I’ll add to this story as they develop. Here’s to hoping the hen can bring them into adulthood : )
I was greeted on Friday morning, May 7 by this little darling in the coop and the entire flock was standing around staring at it while mama was off getting a drink.
I was concerned she had abandoned the nest when the first chick hatched, but it was unfounded. She came racing back in before I even had a chance to go looking for her. And she sat tight while the next two hatched throughout the day. See the blue one in the back? I caught that chick hatching on video and it was amazing!
And then there were two...
The third hatched late Friday evening and I noticed the largest blue egg had pipped, so I expected that one to greet me Saturday morning. Sadly, I was greeted by three live chicks and the fourth lay dying. The box was occupied by another hen sitting on two live chicks, and there was no blue shell in the box. I suspect the non-mama hen “helped” the chick because it was fully formed but didn’t seem to have completed the hatching struggle. I removed the intruder and guided mama and her one wayward chick back into the box. Three healthy chicks, one seeming to be dying. I checked about 30 minutes later and it was still not standing, so I culled it since the others were beginning to peck at it. The fourth egg has not pipped today and she’s been off the next quite a bit with the three, so I suspect it’s no longer viable. I found it cold several times today. If no action tomorrow, I’ll pull the egg and leave her to raise the three. They are darling and precocious, and she seems to be a good mama. She’s not highly ranked in the flock, but I haven’t seen any aggression from the other hens or the rooster, so I’m hopeful.
They are all solid black at this point, but identifiable by some underlying fluff. My flock is mixed and the rooster is a mix as well, so who knows what we’re getting? The first two hatched from EE hens, and the third was either an Australorp or Barred Rock. My rooster is a mystery cross but I suspect silkie x Copper Marans. He and his two sisters have black skin and extra toes. The sisters are fairly small and solid black, but Dwaine has some gold flecking on his neck and green in his tail. He’s large and lovely, and a perfect gentleman so far with my family and his ladies. Very proficient with fertilizing those eggs, too—and his genetics are strong. Chicks all have the extra toes and black skin. Someday I’ll learn about chicken genetics but for now, I’ll enjoy the wonders of chicks.
I’ll add to this story as they develop. Here’s to hoping the hen can bring them into adulthood : )
