Hatching with 2 broodies

[lizgarf]

Just found this video on youtube and had to share. I hope it goes this well for all of us!

 

[Teila]

Hello Team Broody!
Gees, stupid bus driver, I could have got us home 20mins faster if I was driving! Note: it is a 30 minute bus trip .. I could have done it in 10!!! lol
Couldn't agree more, I really luv our mini-hatch-along also ... It is so nice to be able to share this experience; Team Broody is my rock at the moment; so glad me met up.
I wish I could offer some good advice Liz re: the candling but you will have to make do with sincere support. I'm kind of kicking myself for not candling, I could be waiting for 5 little eggs of bad air!
Having said that, I coaxed Cilla off the eggs when I got home and she only stayed off for 5mins max and then raced back. In that 5 mins, I didn't get a good look but couldn't see any movement or hear any noise; happy that they are all still intact and even though I didn't pick them up, got as close as I could and couldn't smell anything. Couldn't see the chip/crack in the 'thing happening' egg.
Dusty must have done a stint today because 5 had turned into 6, so happy I marked them!
I did note that Cilla kept looking down a lot and was pulling the straw around her in tighter, was really fussing with the nest .. maybe a hopeful sign!
I would be happy with just one chick and definitely cheering for hens .. no idea what I am going to do if roosters.
Love the video, wasn't mumma hen beautiful? The chicks are gorgeous I want one!! lol I have never had a chick before and most definitely never held one. Fingers crossed 1-2 days to go (maybe). Positive thinking, positive thinking!!

 

[tommysgirl]

liz thanks for the video! when you candle do you move mam to another nest box or leave her be and just pull the eggs out 1 at a time?

Teila what day are you on? Good Luck hope today brings you those first chicks to hold!

 

[lizgarf]

Oh wow! Hang in there, Teila! I wonder what's going on with that one egg - seems weird that it wouldn't have the pip side up.
I found that video when I was wondering how hens help chicks hatch, as opposed to incubated eggs. Most of what's online is about incubators, so I wondered what the hens did while it was happening. I love them all crawling back under her.

You're probably fine not candling, since you picked the eggs up from a farm directly, but candling is kind of fun. They might not all be fertile, but some should be, I hope! It seems like most of the problems happen with shipped eggs, and I don't think I'll order shipped ones again. (Even though the only known problem so far is Bettina's big self - luckily she's only using the alternate nest, now! Wish I had put an egg in there sooner. Who knows where Grace is laying at the moment? Probably made herself a new nest outside to build her own clutch).

Keep us posted!!

 

[lizgarf]

liz thanks for the video! when you candle do you move mam to another nest box or leave her be and just pull the eggs out 1 at a time?

I pull a few eggs out at a time and take them to my basement to candle before bringing them back to her. Since I currently have 4 browns and 2 blues, I take half of each so I don't wind up candling the same egg twice. I hold one in each hoody pocket and one in my hand and walk really carefully!
But I'm done with candling now! Just sniff tests from here on out! (though, if someone tells me I need to pull the potentially bad eggs, I'll reconsider).

 

[Teila]

Goooood Morning Team Broody!
Yep, I am in a good mood .. nope, no news this morning!
Tommysgirl, when the breeder handed over the eggs she said to mark 20 days on the calendar; today is Day 19 and I am getting very excited!
Liz, Yeah, I won't be making any rash decision about pulling eggs .. these guys are going to get every opportunity .. can you imagine pulling them early! Aaaargh
Had a quick peek under her this morning before work but really only to ensure no broken eggs - lift, look, drop
Cilla had some chick-start and a drink of water ... another long day at work I reckon.
Typing as I am thinking ... I'm considering if, after the extreme deadline has passed and maybe no babies, trying to get my hands on one or two day old bantams that I could slip under her at night .. she really deserves a reward after all her hard work ... Ah, well, still plenty of time; but it is a thought.

 

[lizgarf]

Goooood Morning Team Broody!
Yep, I am in a good mood .. nope, no news this morning!
Tommysgirl, when the breeder handed over the eggs she said to mark 20 days on the calendar; today is Day 19 and I am getting very excited!
Liz, Yeah, I won't be making any rash decision about pulling eggs .. these guys are going to get every opportunity .. can you imagine pulling them early! Aaaargh
Had a quick peek under her this morning before work but really only to ensure no broken eggs - lift, look, drop
Cilla had some chick-start and a drink of water ... another long day at work I reckon.
Typing as I am thinking ... I'm considering if, after the extreme deadline has passed and maybe no babies, trying to get my hands on one or two day old bantams that I could slip under her at night .. she really deserves a reward after all her hard work ... Ah, well, still plenty of time; but it is a thought.

Thanks for keeping us posted! Not a peep?
Yeah, I still question my having pulled that one egg early on. Who knew that my other cream legbar would get crushed that very same day? But, it did smell weird - it probably would have been risky to keep it.
A local farm store has newly hatched chicks available tomorrow for one day only, and it is so tempting to just get some (they have red stars, like Stella), but that would just confuse everyone too much. The timing is about a week off! I might see what I can find last minute if all of this is for naught. I've heard that not all broody hens will accept new chicks - it's worth giving it a try, but you may wind up raising them on your own if they reject them. Can you imagine making them start all over again with new eggs? I think I would see if they will break on their own if the eggs are gone, and try again next time they're broody - which will surely happen again with this bunch.
Good luck getting through work! I hope you have chicks soon!!

My co-broodies seem to have buckled down more the past couple days. I hope they're onto something!

 

[Teila]

G'Day Team Broody!
Yeah, I definitely won't be making Cilla go through it again with a new batch of eggs; hopefully it won't come to it, but I will trying to get her to break the cycle until next time.

Home from work update: Not a peep! All quite on the nest-front .. no movement, no peeps but importantly, no bad smells and no broken eggs
5 had become 6 again with another Dusty offering so they must have swapped again. Cilla is definitely getting antsy, lots of pulling the nest in close, doesn't want to leave and lots of looking down and underneath herself; could be wishful thinking on my part but she looks like she is feeling something I can't see or hear! Also, I offered her the chick-start while she was on the nest and she had a really good feed, more than she has had for a long time.
Tomorrow is the 20 days the breeder told me to count so not only fingers but everything crossed that sometime in the next two days, when I take a peek there will be a tiny little chick peeking back!

Trying so very hard not to get excited in case I am really disappointed but I can't help it, I am excited!!

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

My Broodies did fuss over and 'talk' to their eggs a lot the day before hatching...

 

[coops gone crazy]

Sounds promising!

I unfortunately have decided that I definitely have egg eaters in the coop. I kept only getting maybe 2 eggs. Got home from work this morning. Nothing in the nests. There was one egg under the nest. 2 hens promptly went over and started pecking at it trying to break it. Now what......Will have to start a separate thread when I get home from my other job tonight.

Can't wait to (hopefully) see fluffy chick pics soon!