Hatching with 2 broodies

[tommysgirl]

liz I hope I didn't sound defensive...I certainly didn't feel that way

Now I did not know that I should be careful to make sure a broody gets up. I thought they alll just did it. Maybe we should make Cilla a cape with a big ol B on it because she is the Wonder Broody

 

[MistyMountain]

Wow, do I have some catching up to do! I don't even know where to start, so let me know if I left anyone hanging.

Liz, I didn't get a chance to mess with google maps last week, I'll see what I can do today if work allows. That way you all can see our dreams

. I'm kinda fighting a losing battle with the husband on giving this place a name, he won't let me use chicken in it

. I tried for misty mountain once before, since sometimes our view is clouded by fog in the early mornings. Maybe I can push that again. The more I think about it though, it reminds me of a Thomas the Train movie. Dh's vote is just The Homestead. That's original.

Teila, Thanks for the B-day wishes for my little man! He had an awesome Birthday. Winter Birthdays are so hard. My other son was born in the summer. Water guns, sprinklers, and let the kids run. I could not imagine having a party at our house in the winter! The party was at a local jumpy place, with all those giant inflatables. Two hours for 19 kids to play, eat cake, and open gifts AND they do all the clean-up. The smile on his face was priceless, and the stress off my back was almost as much.

ACV is on my list. I need to find the stuff with the "mother" in it, right? I wonder if Sam's Club carries it?
Hey Riseup!!

Good luck with your broody hatch!

Tommy'sGirl, Nice work!!! Can you come work on mine next?? I am sooooo ready to begin, but the need for splitting and stacking firework prevails this time of year. Maybe spring break. I really want to get it all done before we go on vacation this summer. That reminds me, I need to visit the neighbors two houses down. They came over selling boy scout popcorn this fall. I am going to see if he would take care of the chickens while we are gone. Free eggs and a little money will hopefully work out!

Oh, and Liz, I think we have been getting the rain you are supposed to get this time of the year! Rain Rain Rain, all week. Dare I say I prefer it to be colder and snowing right now? I filled the run up with new leave the pine needles, but with this much rain I can only imagine all the muddy eggs I am going to get. I have a dozen for the neighbor and sent off 18 with my MIL yesterday. It might be a good week to share some with the girls since they will probably stay in the coop more than not.

Ohhh and guess what?? Our dear Mr. Willie who we always thought so highly of made a biiiiiig mistake on Saturday. My niece was standing by the run gate tossing out scratch for the girls. No disruption, the girls were all calm. I picked up Chica, since she doesn't mind to be caught and let her pet her a bit. I step away to get my rake and Willie decides my niece is threatening standing there. He attempts his first ever flogging on her legs (he did not even touch her). I chased him away while making a mental note to myself to watch the children around him. He has never tested us adults. I got her out of the run and ran into the coop real quick to check feed levels and turn over some bedding. Guess who follows? Wille attempts to flog ME. Well, that was a poor decision on his part. He got chased, caught, pinned to the ground, and basically not allowed to look or be within 15 feet of me. He has given me a wide berth since.

Whew, Have a great week everyone!!

 

[lizgarf]

liz I hope I didn't sound defensive...I certainly didn't feel that way

Now I did not know that I should be careful to make sure a broody gets up. I thought they alll just did it. Maybe we should make Cilla a cape with a big ol B on it because she is the Wonder Broody

No, you didn't sound defensive, but I wouldn't have faulted you if you were! I was worried I sounded a bit snooty warning you about space when you have more chicken experience than me. I'm glad we worked it out!

But, I do take a issue with Cilla being nominated Wonder Broody, when Frida and Rousseau should at least get some consideration for that honor. Maybe there is something to be said for Cilla, doing it all alone, and then weaning her babies at the proper time so she could go back to laying and brooding another hatch, but she sure sounded mean in the process. Frida is still tending to her babies 16 weeks after hatch! And Rousseau did such a good job helping her out for 12 or so of those weeks, even taking over the night nest duties. Maybe they can all be super heroines.

Teila and MM, yes, I'm so happy about the rain! I've lived in the Bay Area basically my whole life and I've never seen a December/January without a proper rainy day. This is our rainy season, so to have it be so dry and warm was really weird. Pleasant, but weird. Now it looks like we may have a normal February, and it won't make up for the total absence of rain before this, but it should help. I'm very excited to be able to start seeing new plants emerge from the ground and to let nature do its job for a change. MM, I get preferring snow to rain - sounds like you are getting plenty of both this year!

Teila, the DDD situation is pretty stable at the moment, thanks for asking. Desi will do his croak/crow a few times a day, but I don't think it's loud enough to bother anyone. He seems relatively comfortable, except when crowking. I should get the new collar sometime this week and it'll be interesting to compare them.
Here is his current collar #2 - pretty similar to #1, but less flexible:

 

[tommysgirl]

No, you didn't sound defensive, but I wouldn't have faulted you if you were! I was worried I sounded a bit snooty warning you about space when you have more chicken experience than me. I'm glad we worked it out!

But, I do take a issue with Cilla being nominated Wonder Broody, when Frida and Rousseau should at least get some consideration for that honor. Maybe there is something to be said for Cilla, doing it all alone, and then weaning her babies at the proper time so she could go back to laying and brooding another hatch, but she sure sounded mean in the process. Frida is still tending to her babies 16 weeks after hatch! And Rousseau did such a good job helping her out for 12 or so of those weeks, even taking over the night nest duties. Maybe they can all be super heroines.

Teila and MM, yes, I'm so happy about the rain! I've lived in the Bay Area basically my whole life and I've never seen a December/January without a proper rainy day. This is our rainy season, so to have it be so dry and warm was really weird. Pleasant, but weird. Now it looks like we may have a normal February, and it won't make up for the total absence of rain before this, but it should help. I'm very excited to be able to start seeing new plants emerge from the ground and to let nature do its job for a change. MM, I get preferring snow to rain - sounds like you are getting plenty of both this year!

Teila, the DDD situation is pretty stable at the moment, thanks for asking. Desi will do his croak/crow a few times a day, but I don't think it's loud enough to bother anyone. He seems relatively comfortable, except when crowking. I should get the new collar sometime this week and it'll be interesting to compare them.
Here is his current collar #2 - pretty similar to #1, but less flexible:

Hahaha Your girls are in a class of their own. The co-parenting wonder broodies!

 

[riseupsunshine]

I am ecstatic!! I brought the eggs in to candle one last time. I noticed a little crack in the egg that I thought was bad and my fingernail knocked it off and it was bad but.....BUT... I kept hearing a tweet and figured out IT IS A BABY CHICK TWEETING INSIDE THE OTHER EGG!!!! I felt it move too!!! I AM ONE HAPPY WOMAN! So I am getting a box ready for it since our other hens may hurt it.

In regards to me helping mg broody hen. I started doing it only when I noticed her seeming weakly. I now might do it every other day. I guess being a first timer I was so worried about her

. Thank you for the advice and I hope to experience this again without helping out!

 

[lizgarf]

I am ecstatic!! I brought the eggs in to candle one last time. I noticed a little crack in the egg that I thought was bad and my fingernail knocked it off and it was bad but.....BUT... I kept hearing a tweet and figured out IT IS A BABY CHICK TWEETING INSIDE THE OTHER EGG!!!! I felt it move too!!! I AM ONE HAPPY WOMAN! So I am getting a box ready for it since our other hens may hurt it.

That's great about the tweeting! The crack might be a pip - please give that egg a chance too!
To clarify your post, who are you planning to separate your chick from? While some hens can pose a danger to a new chick, I think that's the exception, rather than the rule. What I did was to just close off the nesting box at first so the other hens couldn't interfere with the new chicks, but I didn't separate them entirely. The broody should be able to protect her chicks from the others, and letting them all be near each other will help make the integration sooner when the time comes. A lot of people suggest moving mom and chicks someplace safe after the hatch, but my broodies were having none of that. They moved everyone right back to the nesting box and I just let them stay there, since my other hens were molting anyway.
All that is to say, you probably need less intervention than you think you do, but putting some wire up to protect everyone the first day or so of the hatch could be helpful, or it could just lock everyone in there and then you may have my problem of one of the broodies teaching the chicks to scratch and knocking the other eggs all around. In the end, I think more freedom for the hens to self-regulate is better than less, but you should know your hens better than I.

Thanks, TG! They can be the wonder twins!

 

[riseupsunshine]

Thank you!! I did not think to close the nest box off so I did do that. I am all for mama doing her job! We are so excited to see what thee next day holds!

 

[lizgarf]

Great! I also found that when I put an egg in a different place, my laying hens used that instead. So, if your laying hens are trying to get where the broodies are, you can set up a box for them with an egg somewhere to let them know that's where to go.
Looking forward to new fuzzy butt photos!

 

[lizgarf]

Well, in an unprecedented showing of speed and efficiency, the US Postal Service delivered the rooster collar today! It was shipped from Michigan on Friday, and thus beat FedEx in delivering a package shipped on Friday from about 80 miles away. Good job, USPS!

The collar is nothing too exciting to look at. The material the velcro is sewn onto is a very light mesh, which seems like a good idea, assuming the velcro is strong enough to contain Desi's enthusiastic vocal chords. It is not quite 2 inches wide, so its narrower than my collar #2 and the beginnings of collar #3. Its longevity is questionable, and it doesn't look like it would be more effective than #2, but it looks more comfortable; and if it works for awhile, at least, it'll be worth the $17, including shipping, until I get around to finishing #3 (which will probably fall apart eventually too). It arrived early enough to put on Desi this evening, so we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Pictures:

 

[Teila]

Howdy Team Broody!

If we are Team Broody maybe our girls and boys can be the Chicken Avengers! That being the case, Cilla could be The Hulk! lol Liz is right, the big 'B' could probably stand for something else when she throws a meanie! lol

Liz, I lurk around in an Aussie Thread and saw that one of the young guys on that thread has also ordered a collar. I mentioned that you had made a couple and were also expecting the purchased one and he would like to know how you go? I hope you do not mind me sharing your experience with him. He is also going to keep me up to date as I said you may also be interested to know how he goes? Another chap on the thread was keen also.
I have different reasons for wanting to know if it works; I am just hoping that you get to keep Desi!

MM, I am glad your little guy had a great day
Agreed that the 'away' parties are always the best .. someone else to do the cleaning up!
Yep, you need the ACV with 'mother' not the ultra-processed stuff.
Hhhhm, I am not surprised Mr Willie has been giving you a wide berth. As you know I have zip rooster experience but it sounds very similar to dogs; gotta let them know who is boss!

riseupsunshine, at the risk of getting monotonous, once again I agree with Liz on the crack and would give it a bit longer. You mentioned you thought it was bad and I guess you are the only one who can judge that, being there, smelling it etc. I had one develop a small crack/circular chip 5 days out and fretted that it was pipping early or damaged .. it hatched on Day 21 with the rest of them!

Unlike Liz, I went with total separation of mumma and babies when Aunty Dusty was trying to crash their party and was pecking at them rather hard. Basically because she wanted to use the nest box they were in because she was sharing it with Cilla right up to hatch day. I totally separated them and the only interaction they got was on short free ranges when Cilla protected them. I learnt that was a bad move because when Cilla cut the cord at about 7 weeks, they were on their own and integration with Dusty was tricky and only now, after 4 months and Cilla 'temporarily out of the picture' Dusty is bonding with them. Also, Dusty has now learnt to use the nest box in the Ranch. This time round they are separated but with lots of wire so that everyone can see and get used to each other. I also have a collapsible extension on their small run so that they can venture further this time round; sort of like a semi free-range.
I am the first to admit I made a mistake and overdid the separation!

Tweeting! How exciting! Can't wait for more news and of course, pictures!! Very happy for you

I am excited to log in tomorrow for bubby news, candling news and DDD news!

To finish, all good here, still on track, no dramas! Using lessons learnt first time round, this time round has been way less stressful. Day 6 *sigh* lol.