Hatching with 2 broodies

[Teila]

Aaaaw TG, those bubby pictures are just adorable and just in time for Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday also. I am pretty sure my son did not even realise it was Mother’s Day but, like you, I don’t care; just happy to know he is happy, healthy and safe, that is all the presents I need.

I have worked for this company for 14 years so I guess it turned out to be a bit of give and take. I was kind enough to take on the Triage role and change my hours so they were kind enough to give me the work from home option

Pffft TG! Definitely a bad time to tell me Julie laid her first egg! Lolz

IC, Bonnie is gorgeous .. she looks very serious about the whole deal. Beautiful baby pictures .. “synchronized grooming” is sooo cute and I love the one above it with the “what ya got there, Mum” look

CC999 I am sorry to read your so very sad news .. how devastating for you.

On the other hand, sounds like Maddy has settled right in and just found the perfect place to go broody; kudos to you

No news from Chookieville DownUnder; all well and happy. Tomorrow is the first breakfast of the fermented coarse grain so I am very interested to see how much of that they gobble down. They picked all of the seed out of the grain/pellet mix today and only left the soggy/disintegrated pellet mash.

First day working from home was pretty good. The first couple of hours I felt a bit disorientated but it didn’t take long to settle in and get into the swing of it. Loved the sleep in and I had the best company with Syba and Chimee helping me work; Well, so they thought!

 

[purplesue30]

I am still in the process of deciding to buy two hens, gingernut rangers I'm thinking about because I have been told there great with kids and good layers. I am getting a bit worried because there seems to be alot of hens going broody, and the treatment for this seems to be buy some fertile eggs, I do find it very hard to part with animals and think I would soon be over run with chickens plus wouldn't want male ones. Is this a thing that happens alot ?

 

[Lesa Mae]

I am still in the process of deciding to buy two hens, gingernut rangers I'm thinking about because I have been told there great with kids and good layers. I am getting a bit worried because there seems to be alot of hens going broody, and the treatment for this seems to be buy some fertile eggs, I do find it very hard to part with animals and think I would soon be over run with chickens plus wouldn't want male ones. Is this a thing that happens alot ?

Yes, yes this does happen a lot!!

 

[MistyMountain]

Chickencrazy,  I am so sorry to hear about your fox problems. We have only had a run in with a hawk out here so far, but there are foxes and coyotes. Our neighbor said a bear has been cleaning out their bird feeders as well. 

Teila! I have been wondering where you were hiding! I can't really talk though, I hide out often as well! I forgot to reply to your question about my chocolate milk container for FF. It is plastic, but I have decided that I need to do things on a much bigger scale so I am going to get a few food grade plastic buckets. I am so glad it is working out for you. Just the push I need to get going on it!!

IC, I have big plans for Cielo, he better stay a cool guy!! His pattern is staying consistent right now, hoping for a little sign to tell me he is definitely my roo!!

TG, We have never really had stray dogs on our property, but this is the same neighbor whose field I often see a pair wandering around. I think they belong to their neighbors. No problems unless they pay us a visit!!

Looooove all the pictures everyone!!!

All is good here. The Li'l school house is taking longer than expected. My hubby is a perfectionist, and this thing is going to be built right! Hopefully siding will go on today and I can paint the floor with my BlackJack #57. These guys have got to get out of the house!!! I let them out in a little pen yesterday and they played like crazy!! The leghorns are clearly roosters and clearly leghorns. At not even 3 weeks old, their combs are becoming quite impressive.

 

[tommysgirl]

I am still in the process of deciding to buy two hens, gingernut rangers I'm thinking about because I have been told there great with kids and good layers. I am getting a bit worried because there seems to be alot of hens going broody, and the treatment for this seems to be buy some fertile eggs, I do find it very hard to part with animals and think I would soon be over run with chickens plus wouldn't want male ones. Is this a thing that happens alot ?

Hi purplesue... Welcome to this thread! A lot of us have trouble letting go of our animals so you are definitely not alone. To help you out with your dilemma, you can choose breeds that are less likely to go broody. I am not familiar with gingernut rangers but after googling them I see that they are a sex link hybrid. You should not worry too much about them going broody, they are bred to be layers and most of the broodiness instinct is bred out of the hybrid layers. That is not to say that it never happens but it is rare.

Other good layers that are not known for broodiness include
Red and Black sex links (like the gingernut ranger they are not really a breed but a hybrid)
California Greys
White Leghorns

I totally recommend the CA Grey they are really amazing layers of large white eggs. They are friendly and bold and curious and very entertaining. There aren't many breeders but Privett hatchery in New Mexico has the line developed by the original developers of the breed. Plus you can tell the boys from the girls at hatch so the process of finding out what sex they are is easier on the birds.

Good Luck!

 

[ItalyChickie]

Heya Team,
Well I have some very sad news On Saturday night Mr Fox came for a visit and took my beautiful pair of silkie bantams Muppet and Maddy he also took Gold my Gold star hen I have been quite upset but I am just glad I have you guys and the other chickens to cheer me up. the fox is now delt with and all is well . Today I went and picked up another pair of silkie bantams and have renamed them Muppet #2 and Maddy #2 those two will be remembered R.I.P Muppet #1 and Maddy #1 and also Gold. The eggs that Muffin is sitting are on day 10ish and I candled them and it looks like 3/8 are fertile and have chicks in them and also Maddy is acting Broody all ready of only hours of her being here is is sitting on eggs that the other girls laid and is growling a bit.
oh we'll I hope all is well with everyone
Ella

Oh no!!! Ella, I am SO SO sorry to hear it!

There isn't much I can say... mourning with you, they will be remembered. I am glad to see that you still have things to smile at, like your other broodies and future babies.

Love the picture of Bonnie. That is a great shot!
The babies are cuter than bugs!
Was the plan to give Bonnie the chicks that hatch in the bator?
Marie

Thanks Marie! She let me take like 20 pictures, so I had lots to choose from.

The plan is to give Bonnie whoever she can cover... I'd much rather she raise them all, but it depends on how many hatch. She has 6 eggs, and the rest (18) are in the bator, all started at the same time. So if I have a low % hatch, she will get them all - if higher, I will have to help out a bit, in the beginning at least.

IC, Bonnie is gorgeous .. she looks very serious about the whole deal. Beautiful baby pictures .. “synchronized grooming” is sooo cute and I love the one above it with the “what ya got there, Mum” look

No news from Chookieville DownUnder; all well and happy. Tomorrow is the first breakfast of the fermented coarse grain so I am very interested to see how much of that they gobble down. They picked all of the seed out of the grain/pellet mix today and only left the soggy/disintegrated pellet mash.

First day working from home was pretty good. The first couple of hours I felt a bit disorientated but it didn’t take long to settle in and get into the swing of it. Loved the sleep in and I had the best company with Syba and Chimee helping me work; Well, so they thought!

Thanks Teila! I have high hopes for Bonnie, she actually was making the broodie noises and doing the puffer fish act for months before she decided to sit... it seems like she really took the time to think it through, lol. She is also completely unafraid of me, which is a very nice bonus, meaning she will likely let me get close to the chicks from the start.

Sounds like your first day working at home went great! So happy for you and the chickens and the cats (they do tend to think they are helping, always!)

Chickencrazy, I am so sorry to hear about your fox problems.

We have only had a run in with a hawk out here so far, but there are foxes and coyotes. Our neighbor said a bear has been cleaning out their bird feeders as well.

Teila! I have been wondering where you were hiding! I can't really talk though, I hide out often as well! I forgot to reply to your question about my chocolate milk container for FF. It is plastic, but I have decided that I need to do things on a much bigger scale so I am going to get a few food grade plastic buckets. I am so glad it is working out for you. Just the push I need to get going on it!!

IC, I have big plans for Cielo, he better stay a cool guy!! His pattern is staying consistent right now, hoping for a little sign to tell me he is definitely my roo!!

TG, We have never really had stray dogs on our property, but this is the same neighbor whose field I often see a pair wandering around. I think they belong to their neighbors. No problems unless they pay us a visit!!

Looooove all the pictures everyone!!!

All is good here. The Li'l school house is taking longer than expected. My hubby is a perfectionist, and this thing is going to be built right! Hopefully siding will go on today and I can paint the floor with my BlackJack #57. These guys have got to get out of the house!!! I let them out in a little pen yesterday and they played like crazy!! The leghorns are clearly roosters and clearly leghorns. At not even 3 weeks old, their combs are becoming quite impressive.

Whoa those are some huge and red combs for under 3 weeks! Yep, I'd say no doubt on gender and breed! I wish I had clear signs like that - but nooo, they all had to inherit daddy's combs except for one (who I had pegged as a girl from day 1, we'll see...)

Can't wait to see Cielo all feathered out too! I'm sure he'll stay a cool guy.

In my news, remember how I said the back area of the yard is closed off so dogs can't get in? That obviously meant chickens can still get out, as they free range... I just didn't think the babies would, as they and broodies are usually more cautious. So guess who proved me very very wrong today? That's right, Cenere and Ombretta brought them all over to the front lawn. I admit I had a bit of a scare, but the dogs don't even look in their direction, and they enjoyed themselves immensely.

I know you can't tell, but this is certainly nowhere near the kindergarten area:


Also, I give you the statue of Cenere....



....and a modified version, Cenere and son

I am still in the process of deciding to buy two hens, gingernut rangers I'm thinking about because I have been told there great with kids and good layers. I am getting a bit worried because there seems to be alot of hens going broody, and the treatment for this seems to be buy some fertile eggs, I do find it very hard to part with animals and think I would soon be over run with chickens plus wouldn't want male ones. Is this a thing that happens alot ?

Hi, welcome to the thread! Tommysgirl already gave you the best advice - I can only add that we all can relate to finding it hard to part with animals and yes, it does happen a lot... but not so much with the hybrids. Also, you don't actually have to give them fertile eggs if you don't want chicks. They do get over it, eventually. Lots of different schools of thought on that - in my personal experience, simply removing them from their chosen spot repeatedly always does the trick (lots of patience required). But I think you can cross that bridge if/when you come to it.

 

[tommysgirl]

Heya Team,
Well I have some very sad news On Saturday night Mr Fox came for a visit and took my beautiful pair of silkie bantams Muppet and Maddy he also took Gold my Gold star hen I have been quite upset but I am just glad I have you guys and the other chickens to cheer me up. the fox is now delt with and all is well . Today I went and picked up another pair of silkie bantams and have renamed them Muppet #2 and Maddy #2 those two will be remembered R.I.P Muppet #1 and Maddy #1 and also Gold. The eggs that Muffin is sitting are on day 10ish and I candled them and it looks like 3/8 are fertile and have chicks in them and also Maddy is acting Broody all ready of only hours of her being here is is sitting on eggs that the other girls laid and is growling a bit.
oh we'll I hope all is well with everyone
Ella

I am so sorry...so glad you were able to find new girls to fill the space in your coop and in your heart. Exciting that Maddy seems to be broody already. Good luck with her and Muffin and their future clutches!

 

[tommysgirl]

I love all the chicken pictures and thought you might like to see this one



There are 6 chicks one Red Sex Link girl and I think the other 5 are all pure Delawares since ther are all pure yellow fluff balls. As they feather in it will become obvious which of the yellow fluffies are Red Sex Link Boys. I will post pics of the whole family later. There was one that did not hatch. It pipped but in the wrong end

 

[16 paws]

I love all the chicken pictures and thought you might like to see this one



There are 6 chicks one Red Sex Link girl and I think the other 5 are all pure Delawares since ther are all pure yellow fluff balls. As they feather in it will become obvious which of the yellow fluffies are Red Sex Link Boys. I will post pics of the whole family later. There was one that did not hatch. It pipped but in the wrong end

What a cutie, such a wonderful shot you got there. Just precious.....
Marie

 

[halfbakedtulip]

I am so joining this thread! Such a happy, lovely, positive lot you are! I loved reading your adventures Teila! It is funny how my situation has changed from when I started reading this thread to now

I will try to be brief (haha ya right!) I have a lovely little rescued silver laced sebright who has gone broody. I am not even going to tell you the panic I went through when I couldn't get her out of the nesting box! I thought for sure she was egg bound! I never in a million years imagined it would be her to go broody. She was sitting on an egg that I took away and then the next day I thought let's see if she really is and laid it in the nesting box a bit away from her. Came back 10 minutes later and she had scooped it under her! So I left her for a week to see if it was real. While she is still lovely to me boy is she a devil to my other chickens lol I went and got her 4 silkie eggs to sit on Saturday. Saturday evening my milles fleur was in a nesting box...uh oh! So Sunday she was still there so I went to the farm we got her from and got a milles fleur egg and a milles fleur/silkie cross egg. Put them under her and worried how it would go with the 2 of them sitting. (Just to let everyone know Banty my sebright is top of the pecking order and Dot my milles fleur is second. They are the gruesome twosome right until Banty went broody)

Cut to today (Monday) morning and Dot was standing in the middle of the coop when I went out in the morning the eggs cold. I grabbed them and put them under Banty. Dot spent the day hanging out with the frizzles which she normally hates. When Banty came out for her quick drink and food etc Dot puffed right up and the two of them had a mini brawl. I find this very odd. So anyway Banty went back in eventually and come this evening Dot is back in a nesting box on an empty nest. She hasn't laid since Friday I believe. I am wondering if she is doing some kind of sympathy brood? She doesnt seem very committed and the fact that she is being nice to the frizzles makes me think she is lonely for her buddy. Her and Banty are the only ones who sleep on the high roost and now she is alone. I am wondering if that is why she is in the nesting box?

Either way I have clearly lost my mind. I live in town and we are allowed to have 6 chickens..and I have 5 already. I have justified it to myself that all of them probably wont hatch and that even if they do there has to be some boys so they will go find new homes ...sigh...chicken math lol