Colorado

[lomine]

It seems like fun, but I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my chicken. If I don’t end up going out of town, I definitely want to go. I have been thinking of getting a goat.

Goats are herd animals so you can't get just one. You need at least two. Besides, more goats are better anyway. Are you looking for pet wethers or are you wanting milk? A wether and a doe?

I love my Nigerians. I'm so excited for my first goat kid birth in a few weeks; also pretty nervous. I put down a deposit on two more doelings this past weekend, an adorable little cream colored Nigerian and floppy eared Mini Nubian beauty. I was just going to go look at the Mini Nubian because she has my favorite color pattern and I just love the floppy ears. She cuddled in my arms so I was immediately sold. Then I saw the little cream doeling and wanted to hold her too. That was a mistake! I fell in love and had to have her too. Good thing I have the room. Here are their pictures I copied from the Craigslist ad.

 

[lomine]

I wussed out and helped it. Thankfully it had already absorbed the yolk. It seems a little wonky, but I guess only time will tell. I have one more peeping in the egg. It would be best if it hatched tonight and I could get it when it’s finished. That will give the others time to finish growing. I was so proud of her so I’m sad she doesn’t like the chicks. Maybe she will be more accepting in a few days. I got a silkie earlier this past spring, hopefully she will make a better momma. The one that seems a little weak is an Easter Egger and the other two are buff Orpington EE mix. The little mix (Puppet) is wild as a March hair. The other three I got from EBay. I ordered six, but only three have made it.

I would have helped it too. It might seem wonky because it was stuck. I've had that happen with quail chicks that got stuck. Unfortunately it seems like most of those I have to help never make it.

I've got two broody hens I'm about to give eggs. They have been sitting but all the eggs from one of the nests were either rotten or infertile and the other only had a couple eggs that looked like they might make it. My broodies seem to have as hard a time as I do hatching. I decided when they started sitting to put some eggs in the incubator too. Eggs are on day 19 so I will put them under the broodies tonight and hope they hatch. One of them is the hen that killed the last chick I gave her. I'm hoping if they hatch under her she will bond with them. If not I probably won't let her brood again.

My other Ameraucana had two hatched chicks this morning. They were earlier than I thought. I put some eggs in the incubator for her too. I decided to hatch them in my other incubator and hope she will adopt them in a few days. Last time she adopted a chick that was a week younger then the one she hatched. Also have eggs for a Marans due to hatch later.
If all goes well I'll have 5 broodies with chicks. Not going to let anyone else sit for the rest of the year that's for sure. For all 5 it is their second time this year. I let the AMs sit because they are both great moms. I let the one sit again because I wanted to see what she would do this time. I let the other 2 sit because I felt bad for them. The last time one had her chicks killed and the other was run off her nest, both by a bully hen who went broody. She kept pushing the others off their nests and causing a lot of problems. She was culled so this time things have gone more smoothly.

 

[madileana]

I would have helped it too. It might seem wonky because it was stuck. I've had that happen with quail chicks that got stuck. Unfortunately it seems like most of those I have to help never make it.

I've got two broody hens I'm about to give eggs. They have been sitting but all the eggs from one of the nests were either rotten or infertile and the other only had a couple eggs that looked like they might make it. My broodies seem to have as hard a time as I do hatching. I decided when they started sitting to put some eggs in the incubator too. Eggs are on day 19 so I will put them under the broodies tonight and hope they hatch. One of them is the hen that killed the last chick I gave her. I'm hoping if they hatch under her she will bond with them. If not I probably won't let her brood again.

My other Ameraucana had two hatched chicks this morning. They were earlier than I thought. I put some eggs in the incubator for her too. I decided to hatch them in my other incubator and hope she will adopt them in a few days. Last time she adopted a chick that was a week younger then the one she hatched. Also have eggs for a Marans due to hatch later.
If all goes well I'll have 5 broodies with chicks. Not going to let anyone else sit for the rest of the year that's for sure. For all 5 it is their second time this year. I let the AMs sit because they are both great moms. I let the one sit again because I wanted to see what she would do this time. I let the other 2 sit because I felt bad for them. The last time one had her chicks killed and the other was run off her nest, both by a bully hen who went broody. She kept pushing the others off their nests and causing a lot of problems. She was culled so this time things have gone more smoothly.

I had goats growing up and they are absolutely wonderful. I won't be getting a goat anytime soon, I just really want one. I would start with one and bond it to my border collie Emmett. I'm about to redo my chicken run so they don't run wild all day and my bc is about to loose his all day job.
Yesterday I had an egg pip under my polish hen, I figured to would take several hours and didn't want to remove it to fast and have the membrane dry like the EE, I took the kids to lunch and came back and she had killed the chick. It had hatched and she killed it in the most barbaric way possible. I ran to Wal-Mart last night and bought some diy incubator supplies. I took the remaining eggs from her and set them up in my closet, to keep the toddler out of them. Hopefully they hatch. They are moving around in the incubator, so I think they are progressing...

You're goats are going to be so amazing. Keep us posted!!!!

 

[madileana]

I had goats growing up and they are absolutely wonderful. I won't be getting a goat anytime soon, I just really want one. I would start with one and bond it to my border collie Emmett. I'm about to redo my chicken run so they don't run wild all day and my bc is about to loose his all day job.
Yesterday I had an egg pip under my polish hen, I figured to would take several hours and didn't want to remove it to fast and have the membrane dry like the EE, I took the kids to lunch and came back and she had killed the chick. It had hatched and she killed it in the most barbaric way possible. I ran to Wal-Mart last night and bought some diy incubator supplies. I took the remaining eggs from her and set them up in my closet, to keep the toddler out of them. Hopefully they hatch. They are moving around in the incubator, so I think they are progressing...

You're goats are going to be so amazing. Keep us posted!!!!

 

[lomine]

I had goats growing up and they are absolutely wonderful. I won't be getting a goat anytime soon, I just really want one. I would start with one and bond it to my border collie Emmett. I'm about to redo my chicken run so they don't run wild all day and my bc is about to loose his all day job.
Yesterday I had an egg pip under my polish hen, I figured to would take several hours and didn't want to remove it to fast and have the membrane dry like the EE, I took the kids to lunch and came back and she had killed the chick. It had hatched and she killed it in the most barbaric way possible. I ran to Wal-Mart last night and bought some diy incubator supplies. I took the remaining eggs from her and set them up in my closet, to keep the toddler out of them. Hopefully they hatch. They are moving around in the incubator, so I think they are progressing...

You're goats are going to be so amazing. Keep us posted!!!!

I had some failures today too. Two incubator eggs hatched a day early, no big deal, but I had to euthanize one. It's insides were on the outside. Strangely it was a yellow chick from what I think is a Black Copper Marans egg. My guess is that it was fathered by one of the Leghorn cross cockerels.

Last night I gave ready to hatch eggs to the Buff and Cochin. I know they were alive and well because I could hear them peeping in the eggs. When I left the broodies last night they looked settled in their kennels on the eggs. This morning the Buff still looked good. Unfortunately the Cochin had made herself a new nest in the straw but had scattered all the eggs around and wasn't sitting on them. In the process she had crushed one of the eggs and killed the chick. The rest of the eggs were stone cold and not making a sound. She's the one that killed the chick last time and her's was the nest full of rotten eggs, too. I can't give her chicks because she kills them and I can't give her eggs because she won't properly sit. I won't be letting her brood anymore.

The only good news is that I gave the single incubator chick to Zoe, my AM, and she gladly took it. She now has three chicks and four eggs (look viable) under her. I've got four more eggs in the incubator and tomorrow is day 21. We'll see what happens.

 

[madileana]

I had some failures today too. Two incubator eggs hatched a day early, no big deal, but I had to euthanize one. It's insides were on the outside. Strangely it was a yellow chick from what I think is a Black Copper Marans egg. My guess is that it was fathered by one of the Leghorn cross cockerels.

Last night I gave ready to hatch eggs to the Buff and Cochin. I know they were alive and well because I could hear them peeping in the eggs. When I left the broodies last night they looked settled in their kennels on the eggs. This morning the Buff still looked good. Unfortunately the Cochin had made herself a new nest in the straw but had scattered all the eggs around and wasn't sitting on them. In the process she had crushed one of the eggs and killed the chick. The rest of the eggs were stone cold and not making a sound. She's the one that killed the chick last time and her's was the nest full of rotten eggs, too. I can't give her chicks because she kills them and I can't give her eggs because she won't properly sit. I won't be letting her brood anymore.

The only good news is that I gave the single incubator chick to Zoe, my AM, and she gladly took it. She now has three chicks and four eggs (look viable) under her. I've got four more eggs in the incubator and tomorrow is day 21. We'll see what happens.

 

[madileana]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Tomorrow is day 21 for the three I have in the incubator and I'm worried about my Orust egg. The Ayam egg has been moving around in there a lot. I have never incubated eggs so I'm hoping it's a good sign. I feel your pain on the broody hen issue. What makes them like that? The polish was doing a great job incubating and I wish I could have left these eggs with her. I think they would have a better chance hatching. The incubator is great, but I just have more faith in nature. I mean the clucking sounds and heartbeat of the hen has got to contribute to their hatch. Maybe not, but I would think so.

What are you going to do with that hen?

 

[lomine]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Tomorrow is day 21 for the three I have in the incubator and I'm worried about my Orust egg. The Ayam egg has been moving around in there a lot. I have never incubated eggs so I'm hoping it's a good sign. I feel your pain on the broody hen issue. What makes them like that? The polish was doing a great job incubating and I wish I could have left these eggs with her. I think they would have a better chance hatching. The incubator is great, but I just have more faith in nature. I mean the clucking sounds and heartbeat of the hen has got to contribute to their hatch. Maybe not, but I would think so.

What are you going to do with that hen?

From what I have read some hens will go broody but just aren't good at it or just aren't good mothers. She is likely one of them or it may be because she is still young. She's still technically a pullet and will be a year old at the end of the month. It's hard to say.

This may have been partially my fault. I probably should have given her some dud eggs until she settled in the new nest. But on the other hand the Buff and AM settled without any issues. I may give her one more chance next spring if she goes broody again. I don't know yet. If it doesn't work out in the end, I'll put her in broody jail and break her broodyness from the start. She's a decent layer and gets along with everyone so she can stick around even if she isn't a good broody. Plus she's so cute with her fluffy legs.

 

[madileana]

Well, today is day 21 for my three eggs in the incubator I made and one egg has been chirping for about 6 hours now, but still no pipping. I am hoping with all my might they hatch.

 

[madileana]

I played this video to my eggs last night:

It's the sound of chicks happily chirping and bam, one pipped. It hasn't hatched yet, but has a pretty good size hole. I was so happy and I played the video again this morning and bam, the other one pipped. It's like magic, they love the sound of other chicks.