Hatching with 2 broodies

[Sonya9]

Our situations are SO similar - except I have twice the eggs and both broodies are first-timers...

Actually I believe this is the first time hatching out chicks for the 4 year old broody too. When I went to pick her up at the breeders place I saw chicks in brooders but none with hens (they were not in large pens, but kept in smaller wood cages that were obviously custom built) so I think they incubate the eggs artificially.

I have 6 dogs and 5 are okay, but the 6th is an older hunting Coonhound (showed up here 2 years ago). He goes freaking INSANE over chicks in the house which is one big reason I love the idea of having the chicks raised by broodies, he doesn't care about the chickens in the pen outside but if they are inside the house he is unbearable (and untrainable).

So glad we can have a hatch a long this weekend! Or maybe even Friday as all of mine are bantam eggs too!

 

[ItalyChickie]

You have me beat on the dogs, I have "only" 3 (though if we go by total weight, I might still come out ahead, all 3 are almost as big as I am).

I was worried for a reason too, one of them, a Lab mix, absolutely adores anything small that moves and makes noises and can inadvertently hurt chicks because he wants to play with them, or pretend to be their mom and lick them (this goes for kittens, rabbits, hedgehogs, etc. as well). He has stronger maternal instincts than my other two female ones.

He is one of the reasons I keep the chicks and broodies closed off from the rest of my free-ranging flock.

Edited to add - this is what he'd do all day if I let him (the pic is from last year, my first-ever hatch experience):



Strangely enough though, he did not react to the incubator, I'm not sure if it's because the noises were muffled enough that he couldn't tell where they were coming from (it isn't quite in his line of vision, just a bit higher) or if he's finally getting used to it... Anyway, not going to question a good thing, lol.

It's my first hatch-along ever! Exciting!!! I'll definitely be stalking this thread Friday-Saturday!

 

[tommysgirl]

Well we just went into lock down. 21st day is Saturday so not sure if this is a day early but it feels like the right time. I had 5 eggs in the incubator, I gave the two largest to the young broody who has been sitting on unfertilized eggs all this time. I wonder if she could tell they were different, she seemed very attentive to them after sitting for a minute, maybe the hens can feel them move?

Anyway so 2 under the young broody, 3 under the older broody, and 3 in the incubator (which is now safely on top of the fridge, the dogs have ignored the incubator so far but that will change if/when it has cheeping fuzzy little babies inside),

Fingers crossed and I am so excited! First hatch ever!

It NEVER gets old but the first one ever is special! congrats and best of luck to you. Oh and yes. They can hear the chcicks in there and feel the movement. They get to know the babies in those last few days. It is why if you can isolate a broody who has had chicks grafted for a few days it is better for them all b/c she gets to know them and they learn her voice.

Our situations are SO similar - except I have twice the eggs and both broodies are first-timers... (Unless you count that disastrous broody twins nest sharing experience one of them had a few months back, but now the other, in photos above, has proven that the problem was the sharing, not the chick raising, so I feel I can trust this one too.)

Lockdown day for me as well! And yes, today is the right day if you put eggs in on Saturday.

I might be getting some on Friday, since half are bantam eggs.

I am certain the hens can feel the eggs move, probably even earlier than day 18... just based on how they start chattering to the eggs and are always more careful with real fertile eggs.

Fingers crossed for your upcoming hatch, will be following all the news and posting mine!

Oh, and by the way, I also worried about the dogs and the incubator last time around, but they ignored it with the cheeping fuzzies inside as well, only paid attention when I took them out to give to Bonnie.

Love your pics IC. You have an eye for sure Good Luck with your hatch. Our dogs are good with the birds too it is such a relief.

 

[16 paws]

I am so excited for the hatch along and wanted to respond to both ItalyChickie and Sonya9 but I cant figure out how to use the multi quote reply. Can anyone explain how to do it?
Thanks
Marie

 

[Farmer Viola]

first click on the Multi button for each post you want to quote. It turns a darker color when it is pressed down. you can click a few of these, as many as you want, and across multiple pages!

then when you have all the Multi buttons pressed down, click Quote on the final post... bam, all the quotes show up in the Reply window!!!!

 

[16 paws]

first click on the Multi button for each post you want to quote. It turns a darker color when it is pressed down. you can click a few of these, as many as you want, and across multiple pages!

then when you have all the Multi buttons pressed down, click Quote on the final post... bam, all the quotes show up in the Reply window!!!!

Oh thanks so much Farmer Viola, your awesome!

Actually I believe this is the first time hatching out chicks for the 4 year old broody too. When I went to pick her up at the breeders place I saw chicks in brooders but none with hens (they were not in large pens, but kept in smaller wood cages that were obviously custom built) so I think they incubate the eggs artificially.

I have 6 dogs and 5 are okay, but the 6th is an older hunting Coonhound (showed up here 2 years ago). He goes freaking INSANE over chicks in the house which is one big reason I love the idea of having the chicks raised by broodies, he doesn't care about the chickens in the pen outside but if they are inside the house he is unbearable (and untrainable).

So glad we can have a hatch a long this weekend! Or maybe even Friday as all of mine are bantam eggs too!

Six dogs? I thought I was the only crazy one with six dogs on this thread! I did meet a lady the other day on another thread that has 10 Yorkies...Wow
Cant wait to meet the new bantams.

How about under a broody? I bet that's where they'll hide anyway if they get scared.
But really, chicks don't count, I'm sure even the chicken police knows that!

Oooooh!!!! Saturday is day 21 for me as well, also 2 broodies, though I'm pretty certain those two will never co-brood (one is Broodzilla, the other bottom of pecking order, timid girl, no matter how hard she pretends to be fierce right now).

Yay for hatch-along!!!

Yes, even Pallina is doing her best Broodzilla impression, but after that she still runs away from others when she is on her dust bath break if they get too close... Mine usually start to trust me after a few days though (I'm persistent), even though they still flip out when anyone else (chicken, human, whatever) comes near.

Some were trusting from the start, like Cenere (might be a Cochin thing, Teila?). Ombretta is mistrustful, but much less crazy - she is the most experienced one though, and quite high in the pecking order. My broody twins are definitely in the Broodzilla category.... I guess it's all about chickenalities again!


Yes, my broodzilla (Rosita) did that too, just now beginning to trust me a bit, after seeing for two weeks that 1)I don't bite (if anything SHE bites me sometimes) and 2) I bring treats. It takes time.

How did it go with that last egg?



x2! I think I'm overusing it already!

Oh no! So sorry to hear it.

Hope you can solve the fox problem soon.


That looks like a great setup. Yes, I think a divider at hatch time would probably a good precaution.
Mine tend to jump a couple of inches from day 1 or 2 at most, but I agree with something to use as a step suggestion, just in case someone wonders out and can't get back in.

Lol, I had to comment on this, as it's something I think to myself all the time... the coop is cleaned daily... the house, not so much.

So, in my news, we are not exactly done with remodeling, but enough done that I can fit about 3 times as many chickens into that coop.

Basically, we switch to ladder-like roosts setup. (I'll try to explain better/take pics when I'm less tired.) The new kids (3 month olds) are super thrilled, as they get their pick of top roosts. The young ones (1 year olds) are adjusting ok. The older ones, especially top of pecking order ones, are not convinced and very grumbly about all the chaos, but I'm sure they'll get over it.

Now if I only could convince Bonnie and the gang of 13 to go to the main coop, but for the moment, no go, they love their little apartment... I bet they won't fit in there in about another week though.

Everything else is well, without further ado, here are some pics of the 2 week olds with Rosita (aka Broodzilla) and Bonnie's gang.

I love the sixth picture down, that chick has the cutest look on HER face

 

[Farmer Viola]

Oh thanks so much Farmer Viola, your awesome!

Six dogs? I thought I was the only crazy one with six dogs on this thread! I did meet a lady the other day on another thread that has 10 Yorkies...Wow
Cant wait to meet the new bantams.

I love the sixth picture down, that chick has the cutest look on HER face

you are very welcome!!!

ok quick question... should I worry? my co-broodies are letting their chicks sleep alone at night! tonight is the 2nd night in a row they've slept in their corner, motherless. both hens continue to mother them during the day though. at first Bertha went on the roost and BJ slept on the chicks, but now BJ is going on the roost too. apparently they are warm enough! they are just 2.5 weeks old

 

[Sonya9]

you are very welcome!!!

ok quick question... should I worry? my co-broodies are letting their chicks sleep alone at night! tonight is the 2nd night in a row they've slept in their corner, motherless. both hens continue to mother them during the day though. at first Bertha went on the roost and BJ slept on the chicks, but now BJ is going on the roost too. apparently they are warm enough! they are just 2.5 weeks old

I would be worried about them getting chilled at night. What are the temps like? This arctic blast thing has cooled things off even here in Georgia, it was 60 last night which is 10 degrees lower than normal. Even if the cold doesn't kill them outright it could make them a bit weaker I would think.

Meanwhile my young broody is back on infertile eggs. I gave her two incubator eggs but yesterday afternoon noticed she was off of them BOTH times I went out to check the hens. First time I thought "Okay, it is break time". Second time two hours later she was off them again and I put them under the older broody (who is now in lock down mode and isn't leaving the nest at ALL).

I keep checking the eggs in the incubator....can't wait to see a pip! LOL I know I am going to be completely obsessed with these chicks for the next couple of weeks, running out to the hen house every hour to see how things are going.

 

[Sonya9]

OMG!!! Two of the incubator eggs have external pips! Also i hear tiny peeps from the eggs!!!

That likely means that mama broody (sitting on 5 eggs) has some hatching too!

Sheesh I gotta get the brooder set up in the house (just in case of emergencies) and the divider in the coop. Wow.

 

[16 paws]

OMG!!! Two of the incubator eggs have external pips! Also i hear tiny peeps from the eggs!!!

That likely means that mama broody (sitting on 5 eggs) has some hatching too!

Sheesh I gotta get the brooder set up in the house (just in case of emergencies) and the divider in the coop. Wow.

How exciting Sonya,

What a fun day you are going to have, it is fabulous when you get to see that first one.
Remember no one believes you till we see pictures