BYC Café

[DobieLover]

I got 100% hatch.
Two are under her in this picture.
One of the Millies is a toe feather and beak puller. Gotta be a boy.

 

[Shadrach]

thanks for the tip Shad - and the strong coffee!
Sadly my nesting boxes are not as accessible (and yes, I have read your excellent piece on why do we make a sitting hen's job so hard, but the rest of the family do not want chickens in the kitchen, can't think why - oh yes, I know - POOP!!!) so I'll just have to be patient. That's good for the soul anyway.

To be clear, the nest box in my house isn't an earth box. The earth boxes are outside.
My house box is mainly for observation; things like how often they turn the eggs, how eggs get broken, how high the stand when laying etc etc.

 

[Shadrach]

Mornin', y'all!

Thanks for the coffee, Shad, it's very much needed this morning.

My dad wants to meet me somewhere today. My brother has been watching over him like a hen with one chick; this could get really interesting.

There's more to this than I'm picking up. Do you not see your dad normally?

 

[Shadrach]

I got 100% hatch.
Two are under her in this picture.
One of the Millies is a toe feather and beak puller. Gotta be a boy.
View attachment 2245235

If you get a moment I would really appreciate you making a comment on my nest box article saying you tried the earth nest out and got a good hatch.
Congratulations to Millie and to you for an inventive method of making a more natural nest..

 

[aart]

She's back.

Feral?
Will you catch and spay?

 

[ronott1]

I got 100% hatch.
Two are under her in this picture.
One of the Millies is a toe feather and beak puller. Gotta be a boy.
View attachment 2245235

They are cute!

 

[drumstick diva]

Dobie Lover sounds like you need SCG to deal with your broody. I think once she dumped a garbage can over her famous Turkey "killer broody" so she could get near her without dying.

OH my, haven't seen nor heard from SCG in a coon's age. Hope she is okay

 

[Bunnylady]

There's more to this than I'm picking up. Do you not see your dad normally?

My dad lives about 100 miles (160 km) from me. North Carolina has been reporting an average of 1500 - 2000 new coronavirus cases per day for the last couple of weeks; Dad in his mid-eighties and having heart issues has to be considered high risk. My brother has what some people call a "white knight" personality. He retired early to do most of the caregiving during my mother's final illness last year, and has essentially moved in with Dad to look after him. It's a case of trying to find the line between reasonable precautions and paranoia. We hadn't seen each other since Christmas, and they needed to be out of the house for a little while anyway, so we decided to meet at a restaurant about halfway in between our two communities.

 

[DobieLover]

Feral?
Will you catch and spay?

She's feral. And the kittens are well down that path.
I want to call around and see if I can find someone that will keep her until she delivers this next litter as I'm sure @CapricornFarm is right is stating she's probably pregnant again. The only way to stop it is to spay her as soon as she gives birth.
The kittens at my mom's house are old enough to eat solid food so they don't need her. Not having her around will give me a chance to try to gentle them if they aren't too far gone. Then they'll have a much better chance at getting adopted after being sterilized.

 

[DobieLover]

If you get a moment I would really appreciate you making a comment on my nest box article saying you tried the earth nest out and got a good hatch.

I surely will!