Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

Aggie left the nest and 4 eggs behind along with a 5th that was half hatched and shrink wrapped. 2 of the 4 were infertile, 1 was an early quitter. The forth looked viable but is a Welly egg so all I'm seeing is black right now. It is in my incubator at the moment where we will wait and see what happens between now and tomorrow. The dead baby was the one I saw zipping when she got off the nest earlier. Looks like she tried to help it. The egg shell was crushed and mostly off the baby leaving just the dried up membrane. More than likely a fatality to the hot weather.

But we are happy with another hatching of 8, including our first full Welly chick, a lot of crosses and one little guy who looks like he could be my LO's chick. I helped the chicks out of the nest to be with mom including the last hatched, still weak and drowsy but alert. They ate finch seed out of my hand with mom coaxing them on.

Isn't life grand though?

 

[16 paws]

microchick,
Congratulations on the 8 she hatched. It will be a lot of fun to see how the crosses feather out. They are usually so cute.

I am always sorry for the ones that almost made it. Its still hard to see that but we have no control over it sometimes.
Enjoy your littles.

Guess what?????

I saw a pip!!!!

I just so happened to go down to the coop and Taffy just so happened to get up for a minute and I just so happend to take a look at the eggs real quick. Didnt touch anything you understand JUST LOOKED

This is the truth and the whole truth so help me.

Well I did open up her curtain on her nest box, but really that is all I did!
Stay tuned for more.......

 

[Mezzer]

Guess I'm gonna hold up the rear on this one, cause I've still got nothing. :/

 

[microchick]

16 paws I'm so happy for you. First pip! Bet you don't get much sleep tonight! Good luck! I'll be rooting for Taffy and the chicks tonight!

When I saw the zip started on the egg my first thought was that she had dropped the humidity when she got off the nest. I guess this is a learning process for me as well as for Aggie. I should have rushed the egg in and put it in the high humidity incubator and misted the egg. She returned to the nest so fast though that I figured the chick would continue to hatch normally.

These babes are so cute though. Lots of different colors this time.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks LofMc. I went out to the barn about an hour ago to get a tool I needed and heard a 'chick in distress' cry coming from the coop. Looked in the window and sure enough, a chick had managed to get itself out of the nest and was frantically trying to get back in. Mom was coaxing it on but it just couldn't make the jump so I boosted it back into the nest much to 'mom's' relief. Went into the house to get a piece of cardboard so I could slide it in place to make it harder for the chicks to fall out of the nesting box and by the time I got back to the barn, Aggie was off the nest. I think she was just hot and couldn't stand being without water any longer cause she was standing by the water dish and calling to the chicks. They were jumping up and down trying to negotiate the barricade so it gave me a chance to kick into high gear, dump out the egg shells from the nest and do a head count. I think I counted 6 or 7 hatched. They were moving around too much and I was trying to multitask. There was one out of the shell and drying, one just out of the shell and an egg zipping. Three eggs hadn't hatched yet. One felt light and I doubt if it developed. One dark egg felt heavy and at that point I thought, good grief, she is off the nest and babies are still hatching. Incubator time? I ran back inside and turned on my emergency incubator ran back outside and Aggie must have seen me messing with her nest cause she was back on it giving me her stink eye. I doubt if she will be willing to stay on it much longer. I'll have to remove the barricade at some point but in the mean time I'll keep an eye on things and if I have abandoned eggs, candle and if necessary put them in the bator till they hatch if they are viable.

Thankfully, looks like they are healthy chicks at this point. Good stock.

Well done.

Yes sometimes it is a bit of a scramble to keep up with momma, try not to interfere, but also be a good keeper.

I presume it must be hot where you are. That actually is probably good. Some of those chicks may hatch without too much more time.

Glad to hear you got the sturdy 6 or 7 (ETA 8 at last count). My first outs are always my strongest chicks. I've learned not to fret so much over the late hatchers. They often are not my strongest.

LofMc

 

[16 paws]

UPDATE!!!!!

We have a Serama chick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first Serama I have ever hatched.
Those little chickadees are TINY!
Just saw one but I didnt want to disturb her so we shall see in the morning.

No wonder this is addicting, it is so much fun.
Hope it does well because it is sooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!

Mezzer your on board now

meant your on deck...duh

 

[16 paws]

16 paws I'm so happy for you. First pip! Bet you don't get much sleep tonight! Good luck! I'll be rooting for Taffy and the chicks tonight!

When I saw the zip started on the egg my first thought was that she had dropped the humidity when she got off the nest. I guess this is a learning process for me as well as for Aggie. I should have rushed the egg in and put it in the high humidity incubator and misted the egg. She returned to the nest so fast though that I figured the chick would continue to hatch normally.

These babes are so cute though. Lots of different colors this time.

16 paws I'm so happy for you. First pip! Bet you don't get much sleep tonight! Good luck! I'll be rooting for Taffy and the chicks tonight!

When I saw the zip started on the egg my first thought was that she had dropped the humidity when she got off the nest. I guess this is a learning process for me as well as for Aggie. I should have rushed the egg in and put it in the high humidity incubator and misted the egg. She returned to the nest so fast though that I figured the chick would continue to hatch normally.

These babes are so cute though. Lots of different colors this time.

We always try to second guess ourselves but I would of done the same thing as you. You and Aggie did a great job.
Cant wait to see more pictures.
Marie

 

[microchick]

Thanks, 16 paws/Marie. I just went out to check on the chicks. The last one that hatched isn't doing well. It's very lethargic and cannot stay upright. It keeps rolling away from Mom and onto it's back. When I pick it up, it just sort of deflates in my hand. Breathes heavy, won't or cannot stand.Poor baby. I put it up near momma. The other 7 are doing well. Cute as buttons. I wish the hatch rate was better but hey, glass half full, right?!

Yes, Lady of McCamley, it was up to 91 here today with high humidity. The hatching was a day early. Next time she or another hen goes broody, I'll try restricting the number of eggs they set to 10 at the most.

 

[thebulg]

we are on day 20 and i can finally hear tiny peeps! my hen looks kind of rough. her face, comb and wattles are all now shriveled up and getting pale, and she is so sleepy. but her feathers look really, really good and she is alert enough to growl at me when i get near. i can't decide if i am worried or not, but i do think from looking at her that she has another 24 hours in her, and i know the chicks will be out before that. so hopefully they hatch quickly and she gets to eating fast!

 

[thebulg]

i went back to look at other mamas on hatch day on this thread, and they look really similar to mine! what a relief!!



this last time i was able to check, there were 15 viable eggs. she started with 17, stepped on one, one was not fertile. this is her second time going broody. the first time she abandoned at day 6 and we found out not a single egg was fertile! and this time i guess she decided to make up for it.

i checked 2 eggs 2 days ago and both were viable, and that's all i've done since day 10, so i am not sure what to expect.