Sooo...yeah...chicken math...
I got 5 from my hatch on Wednesday, and they are darling little pea pods!
My girlfriend tried hatching a few of my aussies under her broody, but only ended up with one.
Last night, while reading the "Oregon" thread, I discovered a town an hour from us had brand new chicks in, which arrived yesterday. They are about a day older then mine.
Bright and early this morning, we flew to that town and each bought more chicks. I got 3 more BAs and 2 California whites (have always wanted to try to get some white eggs). Both breeds were sexed (
) and I figured I could slide a few extras under Tilda and she would be cool about it. Worst case, I could brood them, myself.
My girlfriend, who has one baby BA from the hatch bought 17 more chooks- 10 RIR, 6 C Whites and a random Barred Rock.
She was planning to brood them herself, as she had so many.
We came home and I placed my new 5 under Tilda. I am sad to say, she is a little racist, actually, but in time has accepted the CWs with a small amount of grace. She just stares at them, and cocks her head and makes weird noises. But, she lets them brood under her and isn't too icky about their differences. She enevr even blinked about the new BAs. I'm not sure she even knew they didn't belong to her.
Then we went up to my friend's, and I started putting a chick in and an egg out from under her (they were still in the nest). I went on like this until all the eggs were out, and all the chicks were in. That Buff Orp never even blinked. She got as big as an umbrella and tried to scootch every last chick (of the 18 total) underneath her!
I have never seen a nicer Mum!
We placed a heat lamp in the compound with them, as she has a heck of a time covering them all, and so they can play and still be warm.
So, I went from 5 chicks to 10 and my girlfriend went from 1 to 18. Mothers and babies are doing beautifully, and we are all happy as clam at high tide.
I have heard of chicken math...but it has officially happened to me!!!
I got 5 from my hatch on Wednesday, and they are darling little pea pods!
My girlfriend tried hatching a few of my aussies under her broody, but only ended up with one.
Last night, while reading the "Oregon" thread, I discovered a town an hour from us had brand new chicks in, which arrived yesterday. They are about a day older then mine.
Bright and early this morning, we flew to that town and each bought more chicks. I got 3 more BAs and 2 California whites (have always wanted to try to get some white eggs). Both breeds were sexed (
My girlfriend, who has one baby BA from the hatch bought 17 more chooks- 10 RIR, 6 C Whites and a random Barred Rock.
She was planning to brood them herself, as she had so many.
We came home and I placed my new 5 under Tilda. I am sad to say, she is a little racist, actually, but in time has accepted the CWs with a small amount of grace. She just stares at them, and cocks her head and makes weird noises. But, she lets them brood under her and isn't too icky about their differences. She enevr even blinked about the new BAs. I'm not sure she even knew they didn't belong to her.
Then we went up to my friend's, and I started putting a chick in and an egg out from under her (they were still in the nest). I went on like this until all the eggs were out, and all the chicks were in. That Buff Orp never even blinked. She got as big as an umbrella and tried to scootch every last chick (of the 18 total) underneath her!
I have never seen a nicer Mum!
We placed a heat lamp in the compound with them, as she has a heck of a time covering them all, and so they can play and still be warm.
So, I went from 5 chicks to 10 and my girlfriend went from 1 to 18. Mothers and babies are doing beautifully, and we are all happy as clam at high tide.
I have heard of chicken math...but it has officially happened to me!!!
