Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

And don’t skimp on the meally worms!

Not to worrry I had some quality time with the silkie chicks today, that white chick is a savage beast when it comes to those soldier fly larva I have! She bites hard! She and Cappy where on my lap stuffing their gobs with those larva Foggy and Penne and both mamas got some also

 

[featherhead007]

This afternoon, I found a chook poop on the porch stairs! Yes. I immediately called the hazardous waste disposal company to come remove the problem. I hope that this is a one time occurrence because emergency services are expensive!





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[Ponypoor]

No don't do this. Give her 72 hours after the first chick hatches. The one pipped now could be a early hatcher. Make sure she has chick feed and a shallow water dish in front of her and leave her and the eggs alone. When she gets off the eggs with her hatched chicks take the remaining unhatched eggs to candle for signs of life and put in the incubator if you want. Just warning you, when she comes off the nest she will not accept any other chicks that hatch in the incubator so be prepared to brood them yourself. This is why if you plan to let a hen set if you can you need to know where the nest is and have access to it. That way you can mark the eggs you want to hatch and remove any others that other hens will try to contribute. Staggered hatches are not ideal or desirable when you have a broody hen doing the incubation. She is programed to know that the first chicks that hatch need to come off the nest roughly 72 hours after hatching to eat and drink. She will abandon any unhatched eggs when she comes off, even if they are a day or two away from hatching.

How are your eggs??? Did you set them? I need to put my calendar so I can keep bugging you for updates

 

[Ponypoor]

This afternoon, I found a chook poop on the porch stairs! Yes. I immediately called the hazardous waste disposal company to come remove the problem. I hope that this is a one time occurrence because emergency services are expensive!





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I swept the whole barn floor cleaned up all the poops and a couple hrs later it was a disaster once again! And slippery on those brick pavers! A person could throw out their back skidding along in some of those more juicy ones!

 

[rural mouse]

Well s/h is 11 weeks old, I have no experience with wattles but apparently Polish have wattles. Not sure when pullets get wattles - but Martin/a isnt going anywhere anytime soon so I will just wait and see.

Pullets pop wattles about the same time they start growing their comb: roughly 2 weeks before they start laying. Cockerels pop their wattles about the same time they start growing their comb: MUCH, MUCH earlier....

 

[rural mouse]

No don't do this. Give her 72 hours after the first chick hatches. The one pipped now could be a early hatcher. Make sure she has chick feed and a shallow water dish in front of her and leave her and the eggs alone. When she gets off the eggs with her hatched chicks take the remaining unhatched eggs to candle for signs of life and put in the incubator if you want. Just warning you, when she comes off the nest she will not accept any other chicks that hatch in the incubator so be prepared to brood them yourself. This is why if you plan to let a hen set if you can you need to know where the nest is and have access to it. That way you can mark the eggs you want to hatch and remove any others that other hens will try to contribute. Staggered hatches are not ideal or desirable when you have a broody hen doing the incubation. She is programed to know that the first chicks that hatch need to come off the nest roughly 72 hours after hatching to eat and drink. She will abandon any unhatched eggs when she comes off, even if they are a day or two away from hatching.

X2

 

[featherhead007]

This afternoon, I found a chook poop on the porch stairs! Yes. I immediately called the hazardous waste disposal company to come remove the problem. I hope that this is a one time occurrence because emergency services are expensive!





.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Not to worrry I had some quality time with the silkie chicks today, that white chick is a savage beast when it comes to those soldier fly larva I have! She bites hard! She and Cappy where on my lap stuffing their gobs with those larva Foggy and Penne and both mamas got some also

21 days if I am lucky and I will have my own silkie chicks to snuggle. If Perdita lets me that is. She was awful bitey when I snuck the store egg away from her. Shrieking biting demon, momma Gryffyn would be proud. I apologized and she liked me again when I gave her the eggs to hatch. I put them in front of her and let her tuck them underneath her. She got 7. It still did not stop her from looking up at me expectantly looking for more.

 

[featherhead007]

I swept the whole barn floor cleaned up all the poops and a couple hrs later it was a disaster once again! And slippery on those brick pavers! A person could throw out their back skidding along in some of those more juicy ones!

Food for thought (so to speak)

 

[Ponypoor]

EDIT: I should have Googled. Apparently they do that sometimes???

I swear, I'm not going to survive 21 days.

WHAT IN THE HOLY CHICKEN IS GOING ON???

I just did the evening egg gather/Eenie check. She pops out and goes right for the water. I open the nest curtain and only THREE eggs! WTH? All the others, (Meanie's egg for today, 3 of the marked ones, and the egg I couldn't find 2 days ago!) were BURIED! I'm not saying there was a little stuff kicked over them, I'm saying buried several INCHES deep! I had to sift thru the bedding with my hands to find them! And cool to the touch of course.

WHY? Why would she do that!?!

I left them. Not sure what else to do. But is there really any chance I'm going to end up with anything 19 days from now besides 6 rotten eggs?

Do you not have a floor in the nest box?

I have the flooring and a board about 4” high in the front to hold shavings in, when my broodies make a nest and the bedding is not so deep, I have to be careful to not have chicks / eggs resting on the floor of the nestbox.

She is a first time mama so anything goes it seems. Just fix the nest for her and let her resettle, sing to her my chooks enjoy my singing to them. I sing when I am riding the horses - helps calm them. Same with the chooks.

And remember, no experience for her or you is a waste, everything is a learning experience. Worst come to worst in 20 days if the eggs are duds, think about slipping her a couple day old chicks