Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[Chickluver2012]

cute!!

 

[SusanRenee]

Thought I'd post this up here also... did put it in the PA Unite thread also.

The little ones are getting braver by the day, starting to fly short distances. One decided to use Mindy as a launch pad today for a test flight (was on her back and took off for a practice flight) and another hopped onto her back to get out of the way of a hen fight (Gracie once again went after another hen who got into her area)... or maybe it just wanted a better view? Unfortunately I didn't have the camera ready to snap pics of those. But did get some other short vids of them.

I hope you don't mind, but I shared the second one to my Facebook... I have some chicken and dog friends that will just love this! So stinkin' cute!

 

[fisherlady]

I hope you don't mind, but I shared the second one to my Facebook... I have some chicken and dog friends that will just love this! So stinkin' cute!

I don't mind, Mindy deserves it! If you notice at one point she turns her face away from the chick... she learned from last years young ones that eyes and noses are frequent items of interest to little beaks. She turns her face away to avoid being pecked. I think she is a bit worried about upsetting Gracie also.... since she sees Gracie going after all the other hens that get near the little ones.

Edit to add... It must be in the first vid that she turns her face away.

 

[Shellz]

My brain exploded from cuteness overload!!! OMG! That was great! Those chick's pics should be posted on the post your cute chick pics thread. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Chickluver2012]

Oh brother, I left for work this morning, had 4 chirping eggs, and 3 healthy chicks, the mom hen moved 2 chicks down to floor out of box, left one chick and all eggs,,,no sound out of eggs now, and 1 left behind chick was cold...I put chick and eggs back under her, think it will help?? or too late?? left behind chick was still trying to chirp, and move head....has chipped up a little since she warmed up...what ya'll think?? really wanted a few more chicks out of the eggs we got...I guess I should have moved her myself...lesson learned....

 

[CamiLynn]

Oh brother, I left for work this morning, had 4 chirping eggs, and 3 healthy chicks, the mom hen moved 2 chicks down to floor out of box, left one chick and all eggs,,,no sound out of eggs now, and 1 left behind chick was cold...I put chick and eggs back under her, think it will help?? or too late?? left behind chick was still trying to chirp, and move head....has chipped up a little since she warmed up...what ya'll think?? really wanted a few more chicks out of the eggs we got...I guess I should have moved her myself...lesson learned....

I had the same issue yesterday and put the chicks and hen back in the box to finish out the last chirping egg. Came out an hour later, and they were out again only this time the egg had pipped. Put them all back again and she sat. Came back about hour and half later and they were out again and pipped egg was cold. I ended up bringing it in and putting it in my incubator and assisting the hatch. I don't think it's the hen leaving as much as I think the little chicks running out the nest and her going to protect them...with the rest of the gang following.

Not sure if that's an answer but that was my experience.

 

[Chickluver2012]

Well i guess we will see tomorrow...was your egg cold? And quiet?

 

[SilkieSensation]

I had the same issue yesterday and put the chicks and hen back in the box to finish out the last chirping egg. Came out an hour later, and they were out again only this time the egg had pipped. Put them all back again and she sat. Came back about hour and half later and they were out again and pipped egg was cold. I ended up bringing it in and putting it in my incubator and assisting the hatch. I don't think it's the hen leaving as much as I think the little chicks running out the nest and her going to protect them...with the rest of the gang following.

Not sure if that's an answer but that was my experience.

This is the problem with staggered broody hatches. Mom has to choose between rambunctious chicks & unhatched eggs. There are 3 ways to handle staggered broody hatches.

1-Steal hatched chicks as you go & brood them yourself. She may or may not accept them back after hatch completes. Be prepared to brood chicks yourself.
2-Steal unhatched eggs after 48 hours & put them in the bator to finish hatch. Again, she may or may not accept them back after hatch completes.
3-Let nature take it's course & what survives survives.

To avoid staggered hatch, mark all eggs when they hen first begins to sit with permanent marker & remove additional eggs daily or isolate your broody so no eggs can be added. Any marks made in pencil or crayon will eventually wear off due to the hen's body heat & constant turning of the eggs.

 

[dblea202]

Well after the rough weekend we had we are happy that our baby chicks are almost a week old! Tonight they will officially be 7 days old!! this first week has gone by so fast! Obie still is wearing in bandages for splayed legs but they are just about back to normal so hopefully we can take them off soon. Obie has learned how to take the bandages off so thats why they have been on a little longer then we had hoped. Obie also knows that when she has gotten the bandages off when we walk in the room she automatically lays down to hide her legs. She is such a character!

And I'm sure her brother/sister has also been helping getting the bandages off too so they can run around together lol. Harper is a little nut running around and she always jumps up on the thermometer to perch on and to sleep on. so i guess we will have to add a little perch for them when they go into the next brooder we had made for them. ALso we are only going to give obie one more dose of the wry neck treatment because Obie's stargazing has gone away but we just want to give one more just to make sure. We are so happy that this treatment worked Obie seems so much more happier and active since this is fixed. Now just Obies legs need to get better and Harper will be a very happy chick!!

We also set more eggs last friday and we started turning them this morning! First candling is this Friday! woohoooooo!!! it starts again!!

 

[fisherlady]

Well after the rough weekend we had we are happy that our baby chicks are almost a week old! Tonight they will officially be 7 days old!! this first week has gone by so fast! Obie still is wearing in bandages for splayed legs but they are just about back to normal so hopefully we can take them off soon. Obie has learned how to take the bandages off so thats why they have been on a little longer then we had hoped. Obie also knows that when she has gotten the bandages off when we walk in the room she automatically lays down to hide her legs. She is such a character!

And I'm sure her brother/sister has also been helping getting the bandages off too so they can run around together lol. Harper is a little nut running around and she always jumps up on the thermometer to perch on and to sleep on. so i guess we will have to add a little perch for them when they go into the next brooder we had made for them. ALso we are only going to give obie one more dose of the wry neck treatment because Obie's stargazing has gone away but we just want to give one more just to make sure. We are so happy that this treatment worked Obie seems so much more happier and active since this is fixed. Now just Obies legs need to get better and Harper will be a very happy chick!!

We also set more eggs last friday and we started turning them this morning! First candling is this Friday! woohoooooo!!! it starts again!!

I am so happy they are doing well!! I have to chuckle picturing the two of them working on those bandages though!
We put a small perch in the pen for our little ones. They are flying up onto anything they can now, and seem to like setting up on a divider bar/door sill for the big birds' coop when the door is open. So Radioman found a 1 ft piece of 1/2" by 1/2" trim and used finishing nails to attach it to two pieces (about 4" long or so) of 2x4 scrap. It isn't very high off the ground obviously but the little ones sure seem to enjoy it and I think it is helping them learn their balance because they are on and off of it constantly now without trouble.
Of course they are also starting to realize that Mindy makes a warm perch also. Today she had 2 on her neck at the base of her head... she was OK with that but drew the line at the one who flew up and perched on her nose! OMG it was funny seeing her go cross eyed trying to look at it... she waited a moment then just lowered her snout to the ground and it slid right off.

poor little thing was stuck moving around to her side and getting onto her back the same way it's siblings did.