Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

I had a talk with Jaffar. He seems okay with her looking over the fence (he’s too short to do anything about it anyways)

I"m hoping the 'not nice to chickens' neighbor thing is somewhat settled?

I mean, really...how could you not love these:
Cuddle puddle with Roo looking on:

Cute Mugs: (Raven still has some breakfast on her beak.... or is it 'beakfast'?)

Some of last year's littles out for their daily romp in the grass.:

 

[rural mouse]

Hatch hiccups:

Mama has one fluffy happy ready to go chick, and three chirping but not yet pipped eggs. She took off like a rocket this morning and I carefully listened to the three remaining eggs. Getting her back on the nest was a pain, but I think she sitting again. Normally she would have more than one and I’d just let her go and stuff the chirping eggs under a different broody, who would then take them and so on… but I don’t have another broody!I wish I had the power up here to have an incubator running, but I need to upgrade my solar and batteries before that’s a reality.

I’m a little worried as she rolled the eggs a lot resettling on the nest. Anyone else have flaky broodies or experience with a lot of egg disturbances in the late stages?

I found Thing, last night, doing her usual perch on the edge of a nest box.....on the box Jess is brooding in. Jess was on another nest. Took Thing off (she was reluctant), eggs still warm. Went for Jess who was pecking at my hands (didn't do that last time). Wrapped hands in shawl and pulled her...she promptly tried settling on another fake egg. Showed her the right eggs, then had to repeat the wrap yo move her up a shelf to in front of her own nest. She settled. Meanwhile Thing climbed into the next favorite nest box, not perching on the edge. Am now wondering if she's thinking about going broody too. As low as She is in the order, not so sure it's a good idea. However, thought it could link into the stare down with Cheetah yesterday too.

 

[featherhead007]

I have noticed that going broody, can be contagious.

 

[Kris5902]

I have noticed that going broody, can be contagious.

Totally. See, normally late stage eggs getting abandoned isn’t a problem for me because I had a backup broody, and another, and another… or if someone was sitting on duds it would just be a matter of oh, look, a baby… must be yours…

 

[featherhead007]

Totally. See, normally late stage eggs getting abandoned isn’t a problem for me because I had a backup broody, and another, and another… or if someone was sitting on duds it would just be a matter of oh, look, a baby… must be yours…

I have three hens in boxes at this very moment. They all want to be mommies I think they all want babies.

 

[featherhead007]

I have three hens in boxes at this very moment. They all want to be mommies I think they all want babies.

Thing is, I don’t want more than the ones that I already have. (Especially not cockerels)
I take that back. If I had a few Ameraucana’s that would be nice.

 

[Ponypoor]

I think Hen-Rietta is two timing on Jaffar. I caught her looking over the fence at a handsome rooster next door. I tried to catch her, but she hopped on top of the run, and then back home to the other chickens. Poor Jaffar, he’s so misunderstood!

Awww poor Jaffar

Tell him he's still number one with me

 

[Ponypoor]

Hatch hiccups:

Mama has one fluffy happy ready to go chick, and three chirping but not yet pipped eggs. She took off like a rocket this morning and I carefully listened to the three remaining eggs. Getting her back on the nest was a pain, but I think she sitting again. Normally she would have more than one and I’d just let her go and stuff the chirping eggs under a different broody, who would then take them and so on… but I don’t have another broody!I wish I had the power up here to have an incubator running, but I need to upgrade my solar and batteries before that’s a reality.

I’m a little worried as she rolled the eggs a lot resettling on the nest. Anyone else have flaky broodies or experience with a lot of egg disturbances in the late stages?

Well I guess not much you can do but sit on your hands and hope for the best

Can't speak to nutty broody hens sorry. I am hoping that she settles for the others to hatch.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have noticed that going broody, can be contagious.

Yes I know your predicament!

 

[MaryJanet]

Final count is 27 chicks. I had 5 that made the external pip, 3 of them almost fully zip and then pass in the shell. The other 3 eggs seemed to have quit sometime after the 2nd candling. They had started to develop feathers. The last egg we checked was a cochin egg that had pipped, I'm glad it passed in the shell. If it had not I would have had my first deformity, it had a 3rd partially formed leg growing out of its back. I only ended up with 1 Corona chick hatching, so right now all my hopes for that Corona daughter lies with the 1 Baby has. Baby also now has a 4th chick as of this morning. Overnight a Squirrel egg hatched and the chick is identical to what Squirrel looked like as a baby. Mom insisted I see if Baby would accept it in hopes of another hen that looks like Squirrel. I waited until Baby had taken the other 3 out for a hour to forage and when she was ready to bring them back up to the nest I snuck it out to her. I tricked her by taking one of the white ones out to hold and when I tucked it back under her I also tucked the other chick in with it. It's been 4 hours and she's already showed it how to eat and thankfully she cannot count.

Is 27 a lot of chicks? It seems like a huge number to me but maybe that's normal for you. What will happen to them all?