First timer with lots of questions

[BigBlueHen53]

Here's the wee fuzzy things today, enjoying a sunbeam. They live in a indoor/outdoor portable mesh chicken pen, lined with paper towels (for now). Food, water, heat plate, and a log to perch on.

View attachment 2990770

What kind are they? I don't remember you saying.

 

[chickfused]

I was hoping they'd be Crevecouer x Buttercup and Crevecouer x Ancona. I think what I actually got was Silver Phoenix x Buttercup and Crevecouer x Blue Andalusian

 

[chickfused]

I have been blessed with the first Cheep of Despair! We are not happy that our heating plate now has an anti-roost cone on it

 

[Starry Night Farm]

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You know, this might sound strange, but these babies seem much happier, calmer, and more content than hatchery chicks. There haven't been any distress calls once they got out of the incubator. (Little #6 was pissed since everyone else had gone to the brooder before it made it's run: "I was promised there would be friends out here!!!") They're trilling, which none of my hatchery babies have ever done. They peep, very quietly to each other, all day long. IDK. Has anyone else ever noticed any difference between hatchery and hatched babies? They literally just sound like songbirds.

We observed a notable difference once when we put two store bought chicks (on arrival day and assured under 3 days old and they looked it) with two chicks from our incubator all the same age (3 days old) under our broody hen. The chicks from our incubator listened to the mother and followed her lead. The store bought chicks completely ignored her, running all over the yard. That poor hen nearly had a stroke trying to corral them and get them to listen to her. My young grandson observed this hilarious interaction for hours until late afternoon when in what must have been pure frustration, the hen pecked a truant baby. At that point we removed the store bought chicks to the brooder, no harm to them. My grandson‘s statement at the end of his day of observation: ”store bought chicks don’t seem very smart and hens sure teach chicks a ton of useful skills….if they listen!” Haha

 

[chickfused]

First feather!

 

[chickfused]

By the way, these were all pullet eggs. The moms had been laying for 2-3 months, if that.

 

[Boppo]

Chicken prayers for a happy outcome!

 

[Boppo]

Oh, how egg-citing! Congrats!

 

[chickfused]

I just figured I'd mention it, because people are somewhat divided on hatching pullet eggs. I didn't have any choice, as I was specifically hoping to get fertilization remainders from my foxed roo. Other than a bit of worry with baby #1's zip, it was totally textbook, as this thread will show.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I just figured I'd mention it, because people are somewhat divided on hatching pullet eggs. I didn't have any choice, as I was specifically hoping to get fertilization remainders from my foxed roo. Other than a bit of worry with baby #1's zip, it was totally textbook, as this thread will show.

Well, you sure lucked out! Much was learned from this hatch. Ya dun good, as my pappy used to say. Not really, I had a dad, not a pappy. But my dad would say this on occasion.