Arizona Chickens

[squeakyballs]

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I'm wondering the same thing! Does the broody still roll them? What happens when I boot her off the nest, or do I just let her sit tight?

 

[macmama]

Hmmm... the only reason I've heard with incubators is because if you open it in the last days before hatching the humidity falls rapidly and the chick can get shrinkwrapped in the membrane. I've heard that broodys usually don't get off their nests at all the last few days, but I'm sure that's not true for all. Did you open the eggs that didn't hatch? If the babies were fully formed then maybe that is what happened.

I'm totally a novice at this, but I just candled the eggs at 12 days, and when I saw 5 moving babies I put them back under her and don't plan on touching them again. I didn't plan on taking her off her nest twice a day either, but in this heat I'm afraid her commitment to nesting is going to result in death-by-dehydration. Good point though-- maybe I'll stop taking her off of the nest 3 days before hatch day just to be safe, and just offer her a bowl of water while she's on the nest instead. I've only seen her eat twice in the last 2 weeks, and I've found NO poop anywhere in her pen or in her nest... I keep telling her that to take care of her babies she has to take care of herself first, but she doesn't seem to be listening.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

loribohr

& Welcome to the AZ thread!

macmama: "I keep telling her that to take care of her babies she has to take care of herself first, but she doesn't seem to be listening. roll"

Laree: how many eggs does Dozer have?

I let the broodies alone, but did give them water with in reaching from the nest distance.

 

[NoSkiveez]

Today we're locking down the bator. We have 43 eggs in it but I'm going to candle the eggs before lock down so I don't have any unfertile eggs getting beat up by chicks that hatched. I'm excited to see what hatches!

 

[lulu2]

Quote:
Good luck!!!

 

[smjacob]

OK so how do i control feed my birds? How much do i need to give them and how do i do that? The "tweety birds" have become a SERIOUS issue and right now with my birds having free run of the back yard all day there is no way for me to control access to food during the day... SO whats the best way to do all of this???

THANK YOU

SHaun

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

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I took the always available food away last year and put food out at night so they would have some for breakfast, a little more before I left for work and then some in the evening. Someone else has the food inside the coup and taught the chickens to go through a cloth door. I think I put too much food out, I have heard put out only as much as they will eat in 10 min. In the summer, when it it hot, encouraging them to eat in the morning and evening will help them be cooler during the hot part of the day. (or so I understand)

 

[redrocketrooster]

Laree now your just being unfair! :C The brown and yellow turkey chick on the left hand side of the picture must be mine! MINE!

Tuscon, that is some scarily priced anti-biotics. Jeez. Sometimes I think...there is no practicality in the practice of medicine.

Well my UTI doesn't feel gone. Still lingering. And now I have a sty. Fantastic! I'm sure it's from the dog licking my eye after eating two days ago.
Dummy mutt! Oh hey, the RIR has been sort of guarding the nest boxes recently so does that sound like she is gearing for an egg?

Good luck to all the broodies and hatchers.

 

[LarryPQ]

Laree: how many eggs does Dozer have?

Um....I dunno? I should probably go candle them tonight. Do a little count....

I peeked out there earlier & she had dropped a broody poo the size of Nantucket. I'll clean it out when she is sleepy. Dozer looks cute, but she has ninja-speed pecks.​

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
We wrapped the coop up tight with bird netting and kept the chooks in for a few days. It didn't take long for the birds to go away. Once they found that their food source was gone, they moved on. Now I can let the chickens out and they don't come. I am sure that they would come back eventually, but the chickens don't get to come out every day.

Also, see Laree's dog door idea - brilliant