Hatching with 2 broodies

[lizgarf]

Drum roll .............. Without further delay, direct to your screen from what appears to be a successful circuit in the clothes dryer, Cilla & Co are proud to present 4.5 weeks old Fuzzies!

Bed time is becoming a little squishy...

I think I like this one the best! Cilla is so determined!

They are crazy adorable, Teila! Bordering on the absurd, but adorable!

 

[Carrie54452002]

Sooo many awesome pics!!! These baby fuzzy butts AND Mamas are all beatious! So glad everyone is doing well and for the near death experiences of our feathered friends remaining just that Near death! Yikes so glad whatever it was didn't have success.

My babies are doing great as well, had their first family outing and almost lost them in all the leaves that are still on the ground because by the looks of my yard, I am on raking strike! They seem to like playing in them anyways so I will just lie and say I'm keeping them there for the bubies to play in hehehe





So on a serious note though, and first let me apologize for the lack of picture on this, my only original sweet sweet girl from my original flock that is a bantam cochin is so bald from the ridge of her head for about an inch down the back of her neck. She was getting chased by the rooster a few times that I have seen so I think this may be rooster damage but I am more worried about the fact that she doesn't free range anymore EVER! I never see her out she is always hiding... from him I think I hate to get rid of him BUT she is my princess and I don't want her to get sick or die. What's your thoughts team broody? I unfortunately don't have the means to separate them right now. My setup is one coop and one brooding box currently inhabited by Mum and her babies... HELP!!

 

[Pooman]

Teila you have some funky looking chooks going on there its awesome.

Carrie, all those leaves will be providing habitat for heaps of bugs and such, I hope your planning on composting those in the chicken run. I've read a lot of protein can be gained by chickens from compost piles, they work hand in hand, chooks turn it over and add nitrogen rich manure and they get a feed at the same time.

Dot's little ones are up and about a fair bit this morning eating more... And welcome to the pecking order lol, so saw 1 then the other pop out from under the wing, they turned to each other and started pecking... Sheesh, it's not like there is much competition in there, anyways all seems good...

Apart from the leak i discovered this morning with a soaked Trixy, patched that temporarily. they are all hanging out in the coop today because its like winter again today... Melbourne weather for those that dont know, four seasons in one day. Dont like the weather just wait a few hours lol

Seriously thinking about a broody cam lol so I can see them without being there lol

 

[lizgarf]

Carrie, I have zero experience with roosters, so I don't know what to tell you. Cute babies! Your black one looks a lot like mine - the good feather development suggests pullet. . . , but what do I know?

I just got home from a really great beach-roadtrip with my pooch, that was very much what the doctor ordered for both of us! Then, when we arrived home, Reggie suddenly took off barking up the street, and I saw she was after my neighbor's dog that had killed my hen, Stella! My neighbor has been very careful to not let Bruno free in front of my house, since then, and I think this was the first time Reggie saw Bruno since it happened, and she clearly hadn't forgotten it. Poor Reggie saw it all happen and couldn't do anything about it, because I had tied her up so the hens could range unmolested. That was a tough day for all of us. Anyway, she didn't try to hurt Bruno or anything, but gave him quite a talking to, while my neighbor asked me how I and the hens were doing. As a side note, I've been pretty disappointed that my neighbor hadn't checked on me since this had happened. Since my dog isn't exactly the safest, I understand how it could have happened, and I don't blame him or Bruno. Clearly, he felt bad about it, and has been taking extra precautions to make sure Bruno doesn't bother them again, but still, a card or some sort of check-in acknowledging my loss would have been nice and neighborly, don't you think? Most people just don't understand what our chickens mean to us.

 

[Teila]

Hellllooo Team Broody!

Carrie, your babies are gorgeous .. I want more! Maybe some that don't look like they are having a bad hair day! lol I am sorry that I cannot help you with your Rooster issue also. Like Liz, I have zero experience with Roosters and am not allowed to have one.

Pooman, good to hear that your bubbies are going well. Broody Cam .. what a great idea! Hooked up to the television; it would be way more entertaining!

Liz, I totally agree hon! Maybe he has been staying away and not been in contact because of a guilt-factor? Yep, sadly people don't understand that our chickens are our feathered children :-(

We have new neighbours across the road who have two dogs. They had been here 1 week when Syba (male cat) let me know that something was amiss. Sure enough, one of their dogs is sniffing around in my yard; luckily the girls were not free-ranging but they were freaking out that it was hanging around their run! My cats go for walks in their harness with a lead so I had a lead on hand; clipped it on the dog and marched it across the road. I wasn't nasty but I did politely mention that I had chickens and chicks and that I would not be happy if their dog harrassed them. The following weekend there was someone at their gate reinforcing it and making it taller. Hhhhm, maybe I was not as nice and polite as I thought I was .. tee hee.

My furry bubbies on their walk..............
Chimee:

Syba:

 

[tommysgirl]

Sooo many awesome pics!!! These baby fuzzy butts AND Mamas are all beatious! So glad everyone is doing well and for the near death experiences of our feathered friends remaining just that Near death! Yikes so glad whatever it was didn't have success.

My babies are doing great as well, had their first family outing and almost lost them in all the leaves that are still on the ground because by the looks of my yard, I am on raking strike! They seem to like playing in them anyways so I will just lie and say I'm keeping them there for the bubies to play in hehehe





So on a serious note though, and first let me apologize for the lack of picture on this, my only original sweet sweet girl from my original flock that is a bantam cochin is so bald from the ridge of her head for about an inch down the back of her neck. She was getting chased by the rooster a few times that I have seen so I think this may be rooster damage but I am more worried about the fact that she doesn't free range anymore EVER! I never see her out she is always hiding... from him I think I hate to get rid of him BUT she is my princess and I don't want her to get sick or die. What's your thoughts team broody? I unfortunately don't have the means to separate them right now. My setup is one coop and one brooding box currently inhabited by Mum and her babies... HELP!!

cute pics carrie! what breed is your mama?

So got a photo of the other one this morning, cold here today and for the rest of the week, so not expecting to see much for a day or so, their food i and water is close.



Also Teila, the time and space required is very low, no more than usual. 20 Lt bucket, splash of acv at the start, put food as required, feed each day from bucket instead of dry feed (dry feed is available all the time), keep water level above feed by inch or two. There is no need for constant stirring, just when you feed scoop from the bottom. Very easy madam

Ehis is good info and a great picture!

OK .. apologies for the wire in the shots but I didn't get home in time to let them out, pick them up and get them to strike a pose etc.

Drum roll .............. Without further delay, direct to your screen from what appears to be a successful circuit in the clothes dryer, Cilla & Co are proud to present 4.5 weeks old Fuzzies!

Bed time is becoming a little squishy...


While not the best picture of the bubbies, excellent photo-bomb by Dusty!


Nice hair do!


Group photo "where's is our dinner!"








Check out the hair do on the one in the middle! lol

So so sweet. I like the one where they are all crammed up under Cilla too!

 

[lizgarf]

Oye, I had the hardest time herding moms and chicks back into the coop today! Scratch didn't work, Reggie was too much and just scattered them. I finally resorted to grabbing Rousseau and putting her in the coop, and then after some very upset running-about on behalf of the other mom, Frida, and the babes, they all eventually made their way back to the coop and Rousseau. At 4 weeks, they're looking big enough to be out of immediate danger, but I'm not comfortable leaving them unattended, and I can't really sit and watch them outside for hours each day! I think I'm going to have to get over that and leave their protection to their moms, if I'm going to let them out.

This is the downside of the broody hatch: the babies are not amenable to being picked up by me, unlike their adult counterparts. Frida is the least amenable to handling, so who knows what she has been telling them about me!

 

[Teila]

Oye, I had the hardest time herding moms and chicks back into the coop today! Scratch didn't work, Reggie was too much and just scattered them. I finally resorted to grabbing Rousseau and putting her in the coop, and then after some very upset running-about on behalf of the other mom, Frida, and the babes, they all eventually made their way back to the coop and Rousseau. At 4 weeks, they're looking big enough to be out of immediate danger, but I'm not comfortable leaving them unattended, and I can't really sit and watch them outside for hours each day! I think I'm going to have to get over that and leave their protection to their moms, if I'm going to let them out.

This is the downside of the broody hatch: the babies are not amenable to being picked up by me, unlike their adult counterparts. Frida is the least amenable to handling, so who knows what she has been telling them about me!

Oh dear Liz .. I'm sorry, once again your post has me chuckling I love the final sentence "Frida is the least amenable to handling, so who knows what she has been telling them about me! "

I can relate hon. I keep reading that you can't get Silkies wet .. it's a bit like having a Gremlin! "Don't get them wet and don't feed them after midnight!"
I might just have to call one of them Gizmo!

We have had a lot of rain and storms but luckily I have been home each time to make sure Cilla and the bubbies shelter in the 'Ranch' and don't get wet. I know Cilla used to hide in the 'Chateau' when it was raining but I am worried if I am not home, she is going to try and shelter them somewhere not as dry as these two places. I have never seen Dusty or Cilla get wet but it also wasn't that much of a worry because they are not part Gremlin! Do you think the bubbies will go for cover? I have read some stories about people's Silkies getting wet, catching a chill and very sadly, passing away :-( Do you think they were not smart enough to go for cover or maybe they just didn't have any? I'm going to have to hit the research again I reckon.
Anyway, what I was leading to was how much fun it is trying to get all of them in the 'Ranch' before the rain hits - Not! .. You get Cilla in but if you don't get all the bubbies in quick enough, she is heading back out to those still outside and of course, the inside ones are following her. *Sigh* lols

They are 5 weeks old this coming weekend and I can see what I think is Cilla maybe starting to wean them. She begged for a free-range when I got home and because of the imminent storm and my not wanting to have bubbies sprinting off in all directions, she got to come out but they didn't. She spent 10 mins out before she wanted back in to her bubbies and while watching her from the run; they were not carrying on too much about her being gone. I also notice that she can be at one end of the run and the bubbies at the other and no-one seems particularly worried; previously they could not be separated by centimeters. Today, one of the bubbies snuggled in under her in the run and she took a step away so, no cuddle for you! OK, they are all tucked up in bed now but I think she may be early stage weaning?

Cilla, I can pick up any time I want, doesn't worry her in the slightest. Dusty, not so much. She will follow me around the garden talking to me, come when I call her and take food out of my hand, if she sees you are eating she will actually come over and beg but reach out to touch her and she backs off.
I have only really picked the bubbies up to put them somewhere I need them to be but what I have been doing; when I took out their food bowls to top them up they would come running so I made sure I 'accidentally' brushed my hand against them just briefly. Now, after a week, the accidental brushing has become more deliberate and they seem to be accepting it more. Hopefully they are going to be easy pick-ups!!

 

[lizgarf]

Oh dear Liz .. I'm sorry, once again your post has me chuckling I love the final sentence "Frida is the least amenable to handling, so who knows what she has been telling them about me! "

I can relate hon. I keep reading that you can't get Silkies wet .. it's a bit like having a Gremlin! "Don't get them wet and don't feed them after midnight!"
I might just have to call one of them Gizmo!

Oh my! Silikes sound as high maintenance as they look!

Today was easy as pie, getting the fam back into the coop. My cat may have helped by meowing at just the right time, or maybe they were just determined yesterday to make up for the lack of any free-ranging time on Tuesday. Who knows?!

I did start getting nervous today that maybe I have misdiagnosed Daisy as a pullet. Her comb has gotten dangerously pink and she's started growing wattles. Nothing else about her looks at all cockerel-like, and a pullet can have these tiny wattles by now, I think, but it does give me pause. I guess it's still to early to count any future eggs (and my adult hens aren't helping at all in that department, these days, either. 4 weeks of no eggs, as of today!) Ida's comb is still totally yellow, and otherwise, she looks exactly the same as Daisy, except smaller (even though she's a day older). From the original wing-feather test, Daisy was female, and Ida was undetermined.

 

[Teila]

Oh my! Silikes sound as high maintenance as they look!

Today was easy as pie, getting the fam back into the coop. My cat may have helped by meowing at just the right time, or maybe they were just determined yesterday to make up for the lack of any free-ranging time on Tuesday. Who knows?!

I did start getting nervous today that maybe I have misdiagnosed Daisy as a pullet. Her comb has gotten dangerously pink and she's started growing wattles. Nothing else about her looks at all cockerel-like, and a pullet can have these tiny wattles by now, I think, but it does give me pause. I guess it's still to early to count any future eggs (and my adult hens aren't helping at all in that department, these days, either. 4 weeks of no eggs, as of today!) Ida's comb is still totally yellow, and otherwise, she looks exactly the same as Daisy, except smaller (even though she's a day older). From the original wing-feather test, Daisy was female, and Ida was undetermined.

Phew .. what a day!

We have new Helpdesk software so rather than being on the Helpdesk, I was at a Conference in the City learning all the in's and out's of the new software and all the cool stuff it can do ... brain matter is whizzing around big time with all the stuff I can hopefully start implementing on Monday!

Normally I get home at 4 but today 05:20; 30 mins before I lost daylight and everybody went to bed. While everyone was very pleased to see me when I got home, there was definitely some angst that dinner was 1.5 hours late and no time for free ranging or quality time/treats! Everyone managed to get some yummy stuff into their bellies before retiring for the evening though!

Eeek, Liz, the fact that Ida is one day younger than Daisy but smaller is maybe not a good sign either; I have read that the pullets can be smaller than roosters at this stage. But, as you know, I am no expert. I hope for the sake of your egg production levels, they are both pullets Sorry, I forgot, if one is a Rooster will you still be keeping him? My little guys all still look the same except for some slight colour variance. ?Tina (I so hope so) is the only one of the 4 who has not developed leg feathers to the extent of the others and you can actually still see her legs, not fuzzy!

One bubby got separated from the others and Dusty was between him/her and his/her siblings ... it was kinda cute to watch him/her try and find the right moment to race past the big scary Aunty-Chicken! Integration seems to be going well (2 weeks now) and while Dusty avoids Cilla as much as possible, the bubbies avoid Dusty

So looking forward to spending some time with them on the weekend and I am hoping to mow the lawn tomorrow so lots of nice new cut grass to pile in the run for scratching/eating!