Delawares from kathyinmo

[finnfur]

Baby's First Video ...

I'll go out later and take inventory, better video, and photos. But the lungs on that little one are encouraging!

(That's a foster momma from my flock of layers ... she appears to be one of the mutts we hatched last year).

Automatic Broody Busting Nesting Boxes: See that double nest tray the clutch is in? It has a wire mesh bottom. The "shelf" I constructed to set those boxes on when they are in place to be used as nesting boxes ... that shelf is 1/2" hardware cloth. This year we've been skimpy with the nesting materials in the box ... not too much hay ... it seems to enable us to gather cleaner eggs ... and when the potential broody sits in that box over night, she has a change of heart because the night breezes blow past her underside. At least that's my current theory as to why we had so many broodies last year, and so few this year.

SOOOO ... to perhaps inspire more broodies, we will be putting some breeze blockers between the trays and the shelf ... probably just empty feed sacks. And I'll be putting more hay in the nests.

Kinda wish I'd thought of this earlier in the season.

You may be right - that would be kinda drafty for a broody
Cute video . The little chick trying to get back in box reminds me this A M after feeding chicks I came back out to barn shop and I hear this load persistent ChirpChirp Chirp.
Look and there is one of the smaller chicks running around the tire on our four wheeler by the light to fermenting tub trying to find
the flock of chicks LOL .It was just small enough to crawl out of the feeder openings jump down on the table then fall 35" to the floor
I have rescued it twice before walking up and down the feeder tray.
Its lucky sons dog "chicken killer" wasn't present.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

You may be right - that would be kinda drafty for a broody
Cute video . The little chick trying to get back in box  reminds me this A M after feeding chicks I came back out to barn shop and I hear this load persistent ChirpChirp Chirp.
Look and there is one of the smaller chicks running around  the tire on our four wheeler by the light to fermenting tub trying to find 
the flock of chicks LOL .It was just small enough to crawl out of the feeder openings jump down on the table then fall 35" to the floor
 I have rescued it twice before walking up and down the feeder tray.
Its lucky sons dog "chicken killer" wasn't present.

Chicks are so good at getting in trouble, and equally good at telling everyone about it!

I went to count the chicks. Broody was NOT happy with me. There are about ten ... I'm a terrible counter of moving targets ... but one looks a little weak. We thinks it's a fighter, so it might make it. The others all look like this ... orange legs, fluffy yellow balls with big bums.

 

[finnfur]

Chicks are so good at getting in trouble, and equally good at telling everyone about it!

I went to count the chicks. Broody was NOT happy with me. There are about ten ... I'm a terrible counter of moving targets ... but one looks a little weak. We thinks it's a fighter, so it might make it. The others all look like this ... orange legs, fluffy yellow balls with big bums.

Is the Broody a Del or WR ?
When doing a count/check in brooder I have found if I just crack the top to peer in they all freeze with their heads stretched out on the neck I can get a quick count. But if I lift it further up and they know who's there " he guy with the fermented feed" its a Mad Hatter dash for everyone. LOL

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Is the Broody a Del or WR ? 
When doing a count/check in brooder I have found if I just crack the top to peer in they all freeze with their heads stretched out on the neck I can get a quick count.  But if I lift it further up and they know who's there " he guy with the fermented feed" its a Mad Hatter dash for everyone. LOL

The broody is one of my mutts I hatched last year. From the feathers I'd say she has a California White hen ... from the comb and wattle possibly a Wyandotte roo? But it can't be the other way around ... I have both SL & GL Wyandotte Roos. Umm ... hatchery breeds, so for breeding but for eggs!

This clutch was still mostly under the Broody yesterday. I invaded her space to get to see them. But they are about to break away and go explore ...

My dad is all freaked out that the Delaware Roo is going to kill these chicks. They are brooding in the Delaware coop, and once those chicks get up I'll be taking away the broody cage so they can explore and mom can stretch out. In the other coop, where I have multiple Roos and over 100 hens, I'd have done that already. But Dad is so worried!

 

[crazyhen]

HI,
I have a question. Which of the sexes get the upper wing area on their backs first. My dels are 3 weeks now and two have them coming in quick and the other two don't. I know I probably have two of each but would like to know which is which.
These reared by a broody are much more active and comical than the ones reared without the hen. Although at this stage with a flighty type broody they are all over the place. Catching them is not a good option. Their Mom is very protective.

 

[Zanna]

HI,
I have a question. Which of the sexes get the upper wing area on their backs first. My dels are 3 weeks now and two have them coming in quick and the other two don't. I know I probably have two of each but would like to know which is which.
These reared by a broody are much more active and comical than the ones reared without the hen. Although at this stage with a flighty type broody they are all over the place. Catching them is not a good option. Their Mom is very protective.

Not sure I completely understand your question. If you are speaking to rate of feathering, I have not noticed a difference in rate between the sexes.

I just put my first Del. cockeral out with the main flock yesterday who is six weeks old and almost fully feathered. His five other siblings are at least another week away from being able to leave the heat source. He might be one I would choose to breed to increase the development rate but he was the first one i hatched that had the grey on his butt and his legs are a dark funny shade. He already looks like he will be way overcoloured as well. Mom's legs are very light yellow almost white (white as a chick) and Dad's are lovely yellow.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I just made broody move off the nest so I could tidy up and take stock of the hatch. I found 10 active chicks, three un-hatched eggs, and one dead chick buried in the hay. So ... that was a double clutch under one hen ... she started with 14 eggs. But she did an okay job with that many.

They all look very similar in the buff color of their fluff and super bright orange legs. The dead one looked darker ... kinda ashy ... but that might be because it wasn't so fluffy. I'm sure the one that died was the one that was struggling yesterday.

Annnnnnnnnd ... a photo or two.

She hates me.

This one might show their leg color a bit better ...

... but you have to zoom in.

 

[LindaB220]

I just made broody move off the nest so I could tidy up and take stock of the hatch. I found 10 active chicks, three un-hatched eggs, and one dead chick buried in the hay. So ... that was a double clutch under one hen ... she started with 14 eggs. But she did an okay job with that many.

They all look very similar in the buff color of their fluff and super bright orange legs. The dead one looked darker ... kinda ashy ... but that might be because it wasn't so fluffy. I'm sure the one that died was the one that was struggling yesterday.

Annnnnnnnnd ... a photo or two.

She hates me.




This one might show their leg color a bit better ...



... but you have to zoom in.

Precious!! It's ok, she can hate you.

 

[Zanna]

They look great Leslie, chicks and surrogate Mommy!!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

They look great Leslie, chicks and surrogate Mommy!!

She's fierce. She is going to have to be to keep DelaRoo away. He'll be trying to feed these little guys to his favorite hen ...

I'm just so relieved to have hatched any. I never believe my chickens will work. Until they do.