Babies coming in the Snow....

[MetalFarm]

Ok so small crate but leave the door open?? When do I start leaving the door open>?? Or keep it closed for 3 weeks??

 

[junebuggena]

Ok so small crate but leave the door open?? When do I start leaving the door open>?? Or keep it closed for 3 weeks??

Leave it open after about 48 from the first hatch.

 

[MetalFarm]

Thank you!!!!

 

[junebuggena]

Leave it open after about 48 from the first hatch.

*oops. That was supposed to be 48 hours

 

[MetalFarm]

Ok! I think I figured out why she was getting picked on. When I got home from work the hen that was in the nest with her this morning was on a nest of her own with 3 eggs. I put 10 eggs under her and she didn't budge.

Can I eat two of the eggs she was sitting on all day? Or toss them? (wrong breed)

She was in the nest with her face turned back into her feathers. Never seen that in a nest before is it normal?

 

[MetalFarm]

Well I let mama out to eat and went in the house to take a shower and my dog ate all the unborn chicks. I'm so upset. He never goes in the coop and never messes with eggs. I'm so mad at myself. She's got two left. All our hard work for nothing.

 

[realsis]

I'm so sorry! That's awful! I'm trying to train my puppy (year old) to keep away from my chickens! luckily they are in there run. but my dog still runs smack dab into the chicken wire and scares the birds. She gets in trouble for this and hope she finally learns not to bother them. but I don't feel I can trust her yet. Dogs get so curious, especially puppies or young dogs.Again I'm really sorry this happened to you.Hopefully you can hatch some more very soon!

 

[BoomChickaPop]

Ok it's the coldest day we've had all winter in Tennessee. The last couple days I noticed mama was not on the right nest at least 3 different ocassions. I think the other hens are pecking at her to get out of there to lay their own eggs in there and then mama finds an empy nest and sits on it and is too dazed to move back. Lucky I've caught it each time and gotten her back on the right nest. This morning it happened twice and then a third time another hen was in the nest with her. That and the fact that I noticed some blood on her head was enough for me to move her to the garage.

The babies should start hatching anywhere from 3 to 6 days. I candled them it looks like she's going to have 10 chicks. I guess my question is... how long until I can move her and the babies back to the hen house? Also... I only have one heat lamp. Give it to mama in the insulated garage or keep it in the cold hen house for everyone else? (Or buy another one. I'm cheap).

Comments? Suggestions??

Thanks!

I would leave her in the garage until the chicks hatch.
Then move her to a safe area outside away from other chickens

 

[MetalFarm]

I would leave her in the garage until the chicks hatch.
Then move her to a safe area outside away from other chickens

Too late. The dog got to 8 of the eggs today just as they're getting ready to hatch. She only has 2 left. I can't remember the last time I was so mad.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Tragedy of life, I'm afraid. Nothing really dispelled the sense of outrage I had when I found my dog had managed to get into the chicken run and kill my best layer while I was inside the house. They'd been fine up till that point and to this day I am sure that dog was just trying to make friends with the hen as she didnt try to eat her and in fact our first hint that something was wrong was seeing the dog cowering in the corner of the yard with a guilty look. Still. Doesn't bring back to life, the dead bird and its no excuse not to secure our coops and birds every time. Thier lives our in our hands and is our duty to serve these birds as well as they serve us. I have every hope that your 2 remaining eggs will be more than just a reminder of what you lost soon enough. <o