Early Christmas present

[Garden Peas]

My favorite presents:



This is #3

I checked before we left for audition, didn't see anything... that was around 6 pm. Decided just for grins to wade through the mud ONE more time this evening. Checked all the corners (where the hen usually lays, nothing. Had a feeling I needed to keep looking, then spotted it in the shavings underneath the roost... dunno if she dropped it or laid it before she flew up. It could even have been there before we left earlier... there was a peacock hanging out in that spot, so I wouldn't have been able to see exactly there. I am pretty sure he didn't lay it himself

It got pretty cold before I found it, but coop temp is 44 F, so not as cold as the last two. Who knows?

It's going in the bator with the first two as soon as it warms up to room temp. I'm afraid sticking it straight into bator while it's this cold would be bad for it... but maybe I worry too much

It's a December egg... if anything develops it will be probably cause me to fall down like one of those fainting goats

 

[thndrdancr]

Good luck!

I will be interested to see what happens.

 

[KsKingBee]

DW wants to know that are you feeding them? Wishing you luck, everyone needs a house pea.

You know as much of a pain a single chick is, it is the best way to have a bonded chick like Peeps and Sweepea.

 

[Garden Peas]

DW wants to know that are you feeding them? Wishing you luck, everyone needs a house pea.

You know as much of a pain a single chick is, it is the best way to have a bonded chick like Peeps and Sweepea.

I know... as much as a pain as a house pea or three would be, I'd still really enjoy have little ones around.

I did just bump up the feed... not intentionally, exactly. I had been feeding a good quality layer pellet plus dry cat food and some scratch grains with additional cracked corn. And grit, of course. But when the wee peas showed up (thanks to Blue Creek Farms), the little girls refused to eat anything but dry gamebird crumbles. Wouldn't touch wet crumble, or any kinda mash, turned their beaks up at chopped egg, wouldn't even eat bread. It was gonna be dry crumbles for those girls or nothing.

When I started introducing the wee peas to the big peas, the big peas were all over the wee peas' crumble, so I started putting out more dishes of it. Now everybody is chowing down on game bird crumble, and the interest in all the other food has gone down, even the cat food.

It's a Manna Pro product... you'd think it had crack in it or something.

I still think it's the crazy weather causing the eggs. And the way the boys are behaving, I'd be surprised if there isn't some hanky panky goin' on

But this egg was pretty cold by the time I found it... who knows?

 

[thndrdancr]

Or you could be lucky like me and all 3 will hatch!!!!!

Errr...except in my case, six!!!

You should hear my hatching story, it's totally unbelievable!

 

[Garden Peas]

Or you could be lucky like me and all 3 will hatch!!!!!

Errr...except in my case, six!!!

You should hear my hatching story, it's totally unbelievable!

Did it involve December & January?

 

[thndrdancr]

Nooooo! I am in Kansas, colder than snot here normally!!! At least winter I mean!

Babies are not so romantic when you have an 1000 sq foot house with no access to a shut off room and totally stinking up your kitchen!!

 

[thndrdancr]

The incredible I can't believe they hatched story....

My bs hen had sat for the third time late fall. She had two unsuccessful sitting due to a broken toe once, and me getting her off the second. This hen is a great mom and thinks she need little ones every year.

I didnt let my hens nest this year due to moving to town, fencing the yard for my dog, and dumb hens wanting to nest Outside the fence, where Mr. Fox patrols nightly as well as raccoons, etc. Princess is usually pretty good about nesting close to fence so her third nest (right outside the gate), I let her. Every random egg I found, I stuck under her, thinking they probably were not fertile anyway, as both my boys trains were gone.

Princess was not her dedicated self either, she would leave the nest for 4 th 5 hours hours at a time and temps were down in the 50's at night. I ended up giving her 8 eggs total!! She was getting pretty annoyed with me the last 3!

Alas, she hatched one lone chick on September 28! She was DONE sitting on those eggs and left the nest immediatedly to take care of her precious child!

Not thinking the rest stood a chance I put them under my silkies "just in case".

 

[thndrdancr]

A week later, after checking everyday I found a newly hatched baby pushed out into cold by the silkies sitting on the eggs! Brought her in and warmed her up in a quickly thrown together brooder box.
Thinking it was an accident, I left the other 6 eggs under them. Grrr

Good thing I was checking several times a day!
Second morning I found another pushed way that hatched. Just hatched so was ok after I brought in. Fourth morning found one that must have hatched earlier in night, barely alive! Brought in, warmed up and it made it!!! Almost all had to have their feet taped as they had been pushed so far out that they were in a slick spot!

I had had enough. I didn't have a bator but brought one wanna be silkie momma chicken in to take care of the 3 chicks, and put the 3 eggs (candled and 1 was thrown) in my brooder under the heat lamp!!!!

 

[thndrdancr]

And yes you guessed it! Over the course of the next 2 days the next 2 hatched, one 1 day, 1 the next. All were put under momma silkie, leaving one lonesome egg.

Two days later a pip!!! I couldn't beleve it!!!! She needed a little help out of her shell....weak and not looking too well, poor thing. I took the two newest hatched and put them with her so she wouldn't be alone and they brutalized her!!!!

So I took them back out but she wanted to be with me, guess she imprinted on me. Jumped out of the brooder at 1 day old and tried to find me! She ended up with horrible spraddle leg as I found her peeping weakly under my dresser on the slick laminate floor. Thought for sure she wasn't gonnaa make it a dozen times, but that's my Orphan Annie. Never forgave hhe siblings that pecked her either!!! Anyhow how 3 eggs hatched under a light bulb in a box over 4 days, I will NEVER know. Can't get em to hatch in a bator to sAve my life!