- Aug 30, 2009
- 125
- 1
- 113
I tried to hatch 20 eggs, FAIL
I tried to hatch another 20 eggs after adjustments to the 'bator and had development but still FAIL
I tried to hatch another 20 eggs and got 3 hatchlings and most of the others developed but never pipped even after giving them an extra week. 1 died a day later. 2 survived and I put them out in the coop when fully feathered. Went out one hour later and a snake had one chicks head down its throat so back inside with my lone surviving chick. I had a hen buddy for him and together they went back out to the coop (with rest of full grown flock) for one whole week when I found him laying on the floor with his head in the corner, not moving. Back inside he came. He hobbled around for a couple of weeks and I got tired of him being inside so I put him back out to free range with the bigs. He then meandered by my dog looking all wounded and flapping his wing and limping badly so the dog tried to catch him.
Back inside until I finally moved him to the barn with the goats.
Now I see that he is a rooster and he loves his goat family. He sits on their backs at night, snuggles with them all day, runs to me when they do, runs for the tree limbs full of branches when I toss them in and actually looks like he is trying to eat some, runs up to the barn when they do. It's so weird. The other chickens free range all around the goat pen but he stays inside it with his goat buddies.
I only have 7 hens. This chick rooster guy means I have total 2 roosters. I'm moving those crazy free range chickens to the goat pen with a new coop soon. Would you move the chick/rooster in with the main flock or would you let little goat rooster stay with his goats? He roosts on a 2x4 in an open barn potentially open to predators. The goat pen itself is lined with hot wire and I have two dogs (not LGD's) who keep most large predators off my property period.
I tried to hatch another 20 eggs after adjustments to the 'bator and had development but still FAIL
I tried to hatch another 20 eggs and got 3 hatchlings and most of the others developed but never pipped even after giving them an extra week. 1 died a day later. 2 survived and I put them out in the coop when fully feathered. Went out one hour later and a snake had one chicks head down its throat so back inside with my lone surviving chick. I had a hen buddy for him and together they went back out to the coop (with rest of full grown flock) for one whole week when I found him laying on the floor with his head in the corner, not moving. Back inside he came. He hobbled around for a couple of weeks and I got tired of him being inside so I put him back out to free range with the bigs. He then meandered by my dog looking all wounded and flapping his wing and limping badly so the dog tried to catch him.
Back inside until I finally moved him to the barn with the goats.
Now I see that he is a rooster and he loves his goat family. He sits on their backs at night, snuggles with them all day, runs to me when they do, runs for the tree limbs full of branches when I toss them in and actually looks like he is trying to eat some, runs up to the barn when they do. It's so weird. The other chickens free range all around the goat pen but he stays inside it with his goat buddies.
I only have 7 hens. This chick rooster guy means I have total 2 roosters. I'm moving those crazy free range chickens to the goat pen with a new coop soon. Would you move the chick/rooster in with the main flock or would you let little goat rooster stay with his goats? He roosts on a 2x4 in an open barn potentially open to predators. The goat pen itself is lined with hot wire and I have two dogs (not LGD's) who keep most large predators off my property period.
