6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[hennible]

I checked on my broody's eggs this afternoon and she's apparently lost one... I have no idea where it went. There isn't even a shell left. Her pen is predator proof. That one pen even has 1/4 inch hardware cloth instead of the 1/2 inch that I usually use...

When my Bantam broody went a really long time and The hatch didn't work out I gave her some new eggs, she ate a few of them in their entirety... Maybe your hen ate it. You could cook her some eggs if that's what's going on.

 

[silly4buttons]

I have 3 Silkie hens, one is broody (her and one of our Buff Orps are sitting on the HAL eggs now) and the other two Silkies are trying to go broody. They all including the Orp puff up like blow fish and growl when any other chicken gets near them while they are eating/drinking and stretching their legs. If another chicken gets near their nest with the hatching eggs they puff up, growl and screech until the other chicken leaves. They are so funny. Look like enormous powder puffs.

I know and don't they in a way look a little mean lol

 

[silly4buttons]

I used pizap to decorate my avatar. http://pizap.com

Thank you

 

[Dish chickens]

That's all you wear??? LOL
NOTE TO SELF: Do NOT visit Dish Chickens on candeling day...

I don't have people just stopping in un-announced...... I don't understand why, I am a nice guy.

If i dont win something....im gonna catch something on fire

BURN those speedo's-----PLEASE

 

[silly4buttons]

...

silly4..here is one you can change your avatar to if you like it..if not, you can just do one yourself. They are fun. [/quote I LOVE IT. Thank you!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I gave some thought to having the little chicks hatch on the 26th so there would be no after the holiday down time.

 

[NotAFarm]

I checked on my broody's eggs this afternoon and she's apparently lost one... I have no idea where it went. There isn't even a shell left. Her pen is predator proof. That one pen even has 1/4 inch hardware cloth instead of the 1/2 inch that I usually use...

Had you candled her eggs? I have had broodies that will eat an unfertile or quitter egg to keep it from spoiling the nest. How do I know? I marked all the eggs given to her. I candled at 1 week and one was questionable. A day later, the questionable was gone without a trace. Since then, if an egg is missing, I figure Momma knows best. I once found an egg buried in the shavings of a broody coop. It had gone missing around 7 days in. I found it when I cleaned the coop after moving her outside.
If she has access to food and water, she shouldn't eat the eggs without reason.......unless she was an egg eater before becoming broody....then all bets are off.

Quote: I see you live in Georgia....if I lived in Georgia (was born there), I might be hatching this time of year too!! Nope, not fighting below zero weather with chicks.....I'll wait. ...............and watch all of you!

 

[LAChick]

Don't tell my broodies that walk around the coop eating, drinking and pooping and then returning to their nests with dirty feet......how do they ever manage to hatch chicks while being such germ bearers?!

I thought the same think many of time. Chalk it up to motherly love! <3 <3 <3

 

[LAChick]

Quote: Is that a "Dance Pole", behind this Silkie?

 

[Book]

Had you candled her eggs? I have had broodies that will eat an unfertile or quitter egg to keep it from spoiling the nest. How do I know? I marked all the eggs given to her. I candled at 1 week and one was questionable. A day later, the questionable was gone without a trace. Since then, if an egg is missing, I figure Momma knows best. I once found an egg buried in the shavings of a broody coop. It had gone missing around 7 days in. I found it when I cleaned the coop after moving her outside.
If she has access to food and water, she shouldn't eat the eggs without reason.......unless she was an egg eater before becoming broody....then all bets are off.

I see you live in Georgia....if I lived in Georgia (was born there), I might be hatching this time of year too!! Nope, not fighting below zero weather with chicks.....I'll wait. ...............and watch all of you!

I would hatch this time of year no matter where we lived actually, we put the eggs in an incubator and keep the chicks in the house in a bin brooder for a few weeks and then a large brooder in the garage till the weather is good for them to play out in during the days and in at night and eventually outside with the rest. No biggie having house birds for a few months.