5 Broody Hens Hatching

[lauralou]

Yes, five.

There is so much cuteness going on here that I'm giddy!

First, I have Blondie the Buff Orp, with 2 Welsummer chicks that hatched yesterday.

Next is Sugar (Mixed Breed) with 2 Welsummer chicks that hatched yesterday, and 2 unpipped Welsummer eggs. (Cross your fingers for those 2.)

The other 3 hens are sitting on muscovy duck eggs. I set them as 2 half dozens, a couple of days apart, to stretch out the hatching fun. Then took 3 eggs from a first time mother and gave them to a more experienced hen. Seemed like a good idea to have a spare hen sitting, too, in case anybody gave up on the 35 day incubation period. But nobody did. I truly have the world's broodiest chickens.

The first half dozen muscovy eggs are under Precious, another mixed breed hen. They aren't scheduled to hatch until tomorrow, but started pipping yesterday, and hatching during the night.

I think there are 4 out now. Two hatched during the night, one hatched this morning, and one just hatched. It is still wet. Can you see it sticking out from under her, right in the middle? It's possible that there are more. I didn't check. She doesn't need my help!

Isn't that the cutest thing? I adore ducklings!

As for the other 2 hens, with their 3 duck eggs apiece, well, both have a pipped egg. More early hatchers!

I'll update as more cuteness happens.

 

[cassey40]

Those pics are so cute.

 

[birdlover]

Wow!!! Congratulations on all the cuteness!!! The babies are adorable (of course!) and the mom's look sooo proud! Lucky lucky you!! Yes, we will definitely need more pictures~!

 

[lauralou]

I have an update.

The other 2 Welsummer eggs were dead. They're gone.

Precious still only has 4 ducklings. I don't think that her other 2 eggs have even pipped yet. They are actually due tomorrow.

Tough Cookie (Dominique) has 3 pipped duck eggs.

Barbie the Buff Orp (sister to Blondie) has 1 fully hatched duckling, and 1 unpipped and 1 pipped egg. I didn't get a picture of her today. And that's a shame, because she looks ridiculous! She pushes all the bedding away, so she has the eggs on bare wood, and she sprawls out across them, with her legs sticking out at odd angles. She scrabbles against the wood, eggs roll all over the place... I'm surprised that she's managed to hatch anything at all! Yet she seems to be doing fine. Go figure.

 

[birdlover]

LOL She sounds like a riot. It would be so cool if you could get a picture of that. I'm surprised she got any eggs to hatch, too. I hope the pipped egg hatches soon!

 

[Rebekah]

these pics are gorgeous! can't wait to see more

 

[lauralou]

More updates.

The Welsummer chicks are thriving.

Precious still has 4 ducklings.

She had pushed one egg off the nest this morning. It was stone cold, and sounded swishy. I'm guessing it never developed at all. I took the final egg and gave it to Tough Cookie, to go with her 3 pipped eggs. I don't hold out much hope for it.

But speaking of Tough Cookie, she has a duckling!

Can't you see the concern written all over her face? Like I'm going to do something bad to her baby. Yum, still wet baby ducklings.... Must eat them...

And Barbie still has her one little duckling, and one pipped and one unpipped egg. I heard the pipped egg cheeping a little while ago.

I'd love to show you a picture of Barbie's sloppy nesting stance, but she seems to have straightened up since the baby arrived. Maybe she just got ultra bored, or her legs fell asleep after sitting so long. Anyway, she's definitely awake now. I could barely get a picture of the duckling, because she was trying so hard to keep my hand and camera away from it. Here's the best I could do.

So, we're still waiting on 2 pipped eggs under Tough Cookie, and 1 very doubtful unpipped egg. And 1 pipped and 1 unpipped egg under Barbie. These eggs were the very first pullet eggs that my little chocolate ripple muscovy hen ever laid, so I think the hatch is going great! I had wondered if her first eggs would be fertile, and they were quite small, just barely bigger than a chicken egg.

 

[birdlover]

Oh, THANK YOU!!!

What wonderful pictures!! Once they have all finished, will they be ranging together? I'd LOVE to see a group photo of all the moms and babies out together! I just LOVE seeing pics of moms and babies!!! Thanks again!

 

[lovemychicns]

Me to. But my camera died before I could take more. Here is the only pic I have so far.

Karen

 

[lauralou]

The hatch is complete.

Tough Cookie had a new wet baby this morning, and hatched out her third during the day. I moved them to their new broody house. Here's a picture of the babies before Tough Cookie got moved in there. No more pictures after that. She's been keeping them covered.

Barbie hatched out a second duckling today. Her third egg was a dud. (As was that other, doubtful one that Tough Cookie had.) The new baby is still tucked under her, while the first one is totally active. Fiesty, even.

I let the first 3 hatches out of their broody houses today for a little outside time in the chicken run.

Here is Blondie with her 2 chicks.

And Sugar with her 2 chicks. It's terribly hard to get a picture of Sugar outside. She's camera-shy.

And finally, Precious and her duckies.

So far, each hen has stayed right around the front of her own broody house. But soon enough they'll all be running together, I imagine. I've never raised chicks and ducklings together before.

I'll try to get more pics though, as they start moving around more.