Broody Australorp Now Mother Hen!!!!!! Lots and Lots of Pics!

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Good luck !! We are in our perfect place, and enjoying every minute of it. The Chickens was my whim, but my wonderful hubby has embraced the entire idea as well. He is enjoying the girls as much as I do! He even goes out and catches them grasshoppers and crickets as treats. as we don't let them out of the run yet. They will once they become large enough the hawks don't carry them off!

 

[Preservation Acres]

Well, we're back. We went out of town for the past 3 days, and when we got home, I checked on my hen.

I couldn't believe it. It looked like she didn't move an inch since we left. Her food was undisturbed, and I don't think she touched her water either. Both her food and water were about 8 inches from her in her pen. I reached in and touched her food, and she immediately perked up. I pushed it to her and she ate and ate and ATE. I then pushed her water to her and she drank nonstop for about 30 minutes.

Am I right in thinking that she looked at that food and water for 3 days but preferred to go hungry over leaving her eggs?? The food was only a few inches away!

What a super mom!!!!!!

 

[Preservation Acres]

OK folks, I need help.

Today is day 5, and I really wanted to candle a couple of eggs. I tried 5, and I just can't see anything through the brown shells. I tried a candle and also a very bright bulb. I just can't get through the shell.

How do you candle brown shelled eggs?

 

[Kittymomma]

I saw a post awhile back where they had taken a desk lamp with the moveable neck (sorry, brain dead tonight and I can't think of the name) cut a slit in a box so they could put it in the bottom (upside down box) with the bulb facing up. I belive they used a 100 watt bulb and made a hole in the top of the box for the egg to sit on. If I remember right they were candeling dark eggs and said it worked great. Oh, do it in a dark room like an interior bathroom.

Hope that helps and if not maybe it will bump it up so someone with more practical experience will see your post and reply.

 

[cwhit590]

Did you just hold them up to the light?

Oh Preservation Acres....

It helps to make a small opening for the light to go thru...if you're using a flashlight or bulb, try putting a box or cardboard over it w/ a little hole cut in it...set the egg on the hole and it should light up better. Or use a toilet paper tube - flashlight on one end and egg on the other (I tried this and it was a little tricky w/ brown eggs - smaller hole is probably better).
Use the brightest light possible...in the darkest room possible!

 

[Preservation Acres]

Great! You guys rock.

 

[cwhit590]

I have to say...w/ the toilet paper tube method, I didn't really see very well what was inside...but it was helpful cuz I found a couple eggs with cracks!

(My broody BO was a little clumsier than I thought!) When I opened those 2 eggs, one wasn't fertile and one was developing

it probably wouldn't have made it anyway due to the crack....
Since the candling didn't work too great for me I just left the rest under her...not all made it but I got 6 healthy chicks in the end!

 

[Preservation Acres]

I just bought one of these. I found a link to this site in another thread. It's coming via priority mail and will be shipped tomorrow, so I should have it by the end of the week.

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_95&products_id=612

 

[Preservation Acres]

Quote:
How many did you start with?

 

[cwhit590]

Oh boy....here it goes:

Started w/ 14 eggs under her!

I was greedy for baby chicks

BUT THEN...
She broke 1 the first night...checked her the next day and it was a mess...had to change shavings and wash off some of the eggs (I thought washing might screw everything up but it was ok).
Um...then I think I took 2 eggs away since she didn't seem to be able to cover them all.
Then I candled...wasn't able to see much except the 2 cracked eggs...1 was bad, 1 was developing (might have made it, but I didn't want to deal w/ another broken egg in the nest

)
Left her with 9 eggs....7 hatched. Other 2 - 1 unfertile, 1 fully formed chick (must have died just before hatching

)
Of the 7 chicks...1 didn't absorb its yolk fully upon hatching...kept an eye on it but it passed away after a day or two.

SO...after ALL that.....ended up with 6 HEALTHY CHICKS!

It was all a big 'experiment' to see if the new rooster was working, so just to get ANY chicks at all was great!!! It was a learning experience. My broody fostered chicks this spring but this was the 1st brood she hatched on her own. She's a great momma and I'm sure yours will be too.

(PS....don't count yer chickens before they hatch!!!

)