First time with a broody- hatch day is here-not sure what to do?!!??

[sumi]

They are beautiful! Well done Ida!

 

[SarniaTricia]

Only 6 eggs under her.... I wanted to limit her as I was not sure on abilities and I had 36 in the bator when she went broody... (eventually I need to stop hatching out)...
I have to go out to see a customer today, so maybe I also need to stop at the feed store, get new feeders and waterers and stop by the house and see if there are any little babies peeking out....

Oh, Oh I can see fussing .....

Ida has some beautiful babies... 6-7 is a good number for her to manage.
Are you going to introduce her back to the flock soon?

 

[Soap Junkie]

Only 6 eggs under her.... I wanted to limit her as I was not sure on abilities and I had 36 in the bator when she went broody... (eventually I need to stop hatching out)...
I have to go out to see a customer today, so maybe I also need to stop at the feed store, get new feeders and waterers and stop by the house and see if there are any little babies peeking out....

Oh, Oh I can see fussing .....

Ida has some beautiful babies... 6-7 is a good number for her to manage.
Are you going to introduce her back to the flock soon?

I fussed with mine the whole day. Kept lifting her up so I could see what was going on. I would pull the old shells after they were out too. My husband kept saying leave her alone, but I just couldnt! I checked every hour until dark. It was so cool to see a shell piped, then next time I would check it was zipped, and then next time a chick! I never got to see them hatch out of the shell but it was really great to keep seeing new pips and zips! Good luck, and go chickies go!

 

[chickenreferee]

We offically have our 7th chick. I wound up helping it out though. The silly thing pipped in the wrong end of the shell, not to mention the chick was HUGE. She had been unzipping, but seemed to be stuck. Ida started moving around with the others and I was worried (probably for nothing) that the half hatched baby would be left behind and die. So I got a very warm wet washcloth and held the egg in it while I chipped the shell and unstuck the membrane. The baby finally pushed it's way out but was having a very hard time getting around due to a wing being stuck to the top of it's head. (Only at my house I tell ya....

) Got that remedied and 'she' seems to be doing ok under mom now, though Ida has pecked at her a few times. But I'm pretty sure she's pecked at the others too, so I'm trying not to worry. If gigantaur chick seems worse for the wear of being in the brooder with Ida and the other kids, I'll just bring her in with me. I raised my naked neck rooster like that, so I guess it will be like old times.

There are 4 eggs left that Ida INSISTS on pulling back under her, so not sure what to think. I'm wore out and I'm not even a chicken! I dunno how she could handle more babies.

Planning on doing chick portraits later this evening after I get some much neglected work done. Then you can peruse who you might like to be your namesake sumi!

-----------
........and I just got an email from Meyers offering free shipping on 15 or more brown layer assortment pullets.....I mean I could probably get away with it considering a few of the new chicks are going to be cockerals......and I could use a few more eggs a week right?

 

[sumi]

Awesome! 7 babies... Good one, Ida.

And she may hatch more... I had hens hatch out 12 at a time and handle them no problem, so stop worrying! You're getting worse than me. And I can worry for Africa.
Helped a chick hatch once that had her head stuck between her legs. Heaven knows how that little thing thought she was going to get out. I heard her try to pip and decided to give her a hand.
And yes, I totally agree a few more eggs a week would be nice...

Oh, chicken math. (You know something? If you get enough hens, you may get enough eggs to sell some and help pay for their food...)
Can't wait to see my namesake and all 7 the fluffy butts.

 

[baconskatiedid]

I'm sorry if you're sick of chick pictures, but I just can't help myself!!!

Here is proud mom Ida with the first little blue chipmunk that popped out- it looks like chick #4 is blue as well, just not dry yet.


And chick #3 was a little yellow chipmunk! How cool!!


There's at least one more egg pipping now and another who is peeping a little. Doesn't seem to be anyone home in two others. So that leaves us with 2 other eggs that I can't really see at this point to know what's going on. I hope the next two make it out okay. Still hoping that at least one will be black like the little one that passed away. I'd say if 8 out of 10 hatch, even 6 out of 10, that's pretty good for a first time broody and her neurotic human.

On a side note it looks like maybe Ida's diarrhea has subsided, I hope for good. Until I can rinse off her hiney though, I've been putting paper towels under her. Still the little yellow chick is determined to sit right under her vent almost. Bless Ida's heart- she had a huge blowout earlier and waited with her rear in the air for me to clean it out and put clean towels back down.

I'm still amazed at how active the chicks are already. They don't go far from mom's side, but all of them have been out walking around and pecking at stuff. It's such a joy to watch them.

NEVER TO MANY!!!

 

[baconskatiedid]

Congrats to you all!

 

[marlowmanor]

Since broody hen Hazel has been given plenty of time to hatch more chicks and was off the nest and walking around today we took the rest of the eggs from her today. I cracked them all open and all the ones that were left we bad. That was a stinky mess.

I don't know that I will get that smell out of my nose for a while.

I did finally get a picture of our only chick to hatch though. So here is a picture of our little lone chick and Hazel.


This chick is lighter than the EEs we got as chicks originally so I am curious to see what color she ends up being. I have no clue which of the EEs are her real momma either. It's not Hazel though because she wasn't laying when we gathered the eggs to put under her. I'm definately hoping this chick survives and we get to see what she grows up to look like.

 

[SarniaTricia]

One chickie for Princess, so far..
i would post a picture, but i didn't want to disturb her any more... she was really angry with me for looking in the first place....

I am so happy for you and Ida... Babies are so much fun.

 

[sumi]

Since broody hen Hazel has been given plenty of time to hatch more chicks and was off the nest and walking around today we took the rest of the eggs from her today. I cracked them all open and all the ones that were left we bad. That was a stinky mess.

I don't know that I will get that smell out of my nose for a while.

I did finally get a picture of our only chick to hatch though. So here is a picture of our little lone chick and Hazel.


This chick is lighter than the EEs we got as chicks originally so I am curious to see what color she ends up being. I have no clue which of the EEs are her real momma either. It's not Hazel though because she wasn't laying when we gathered the eggs to put under her. I'm definately hoping this chick survives and we get to see what she grows up to look like.

It's gorgeous! Well done Hazel!