Hatching with 2 broodies

[Teila]

Aaaw Liz, that is sad

Do you know how long she had been broody? If reading chicken-threads is education I should have a Chicken Degree framed on my wall .. lol. That is my lead in to say "I have read" (lol) that broodies can also kill their own babies. It would be very hard to trust her from now on. The question would be "Did she kill them because she knew they were not hers or would she kill her own also?" and the only way to know that would be to let her sit on a batch of eggs .. how stressful would that be with the previous history? Very, very sad .. I'm definitely not going down that path now.
And, big AND actually, I may not have to! OK, no bubbies but a quick, lift n' peek this morning gave me the opportunity to see another pipped egg! Wooo hoooo! I am positive now that the pip I saw yesterday was a pip because I now have another one! I have read (lol) that it can take sometimes 24 hours and more from external pip to hatching.
Day 21 today! No work today or tomorrow so I am not going anywhere! Maybe good news before I go to bed tonight! My current excitement levels make a child at Christmas look like an amateur! lol.

 

[lizgarf]

Woohoo!!!!
How many pips is that now? 2 or 3? The first one seems so long ago now . . .

I don't know much about the other woman's situation with her hen that killed the chicks. I know she was nervous about giving them to her, since only some of her broody hens accept new chicks. But, I don't think she had this exact experience before.

 

[Teila]

That is just another 'what-if' to add to the list .. 'what if she kills her babies?' I have so many what-if''s and Should-I-have's running through my head at the moment but I am sticking with my original plan to just let nature take it's course; I am not going to interfere (except for the original giving her fertile eggs to sit on thing lol).
2 definite pips Liz and that 'thing' that happened about Day 17 which I am still not sure about. I haven't been able to look long enough to see if anything else is going on. I will definitely be watching from afar today just in case she does hop off the eggs and I get a little bit more time to study them. She had a good breakfast and drink of water on the nest this morning. Because I am home today, Dusty and Britney will be able to free range which will leave Cilla home-alone to do her thing in peace (except for that feeling she is being watched, which she will be lol)
Go Team Broody!!

 

[tommysgirl]

And, big AND actually, I may not have to! OK, no bubbies but a quick, lift n' peek this morning gave me the opportunity to see another pipped egg! Wooo hoooo! I am positive now that the pip I saw yesterday was a pip because I now have another one! I have read (lol) that it can take sometimes 24 hours and more from external pip to hatching.
Day 21 today! No work today or tomorrow so I am not going anywhere! Maybe good news before I go to bed tonight! My current excitement levels make a child at Christmas look like an amateur! lol.

Big News!!!! Best of Luck!!!

 

[Teila]

Thank you Tommysgirl!

 

[lizgarf]

Well, my broodies took a team break again today, and I got a good long look and smell at the eggs. Didn't smell anything too scary, and I could have sworn while staring at a couple of the browns, I might have seen the slightest bit of rolling. My eyes could very well have been playing tricks on me, but luckily Rousseau got back on the eggs and put an end to my possible hallucinations.

In the meantime, I let the non-broodies in the back and was so preoccupied about the eggs, that I left the door open and my dog gave the hens a good chase. Luckily she's a herder, not a killer, but it sure didn't help the nerves. Now she's on lockdown, the non-broodies are ranging safely, the broodies are back in their nest, and I'm pretending to work on this brief due on Monday.

 

[Teila]

lols Liz .. chaos reigns supreme!
I still haven't heard any noise or seen any movement .. just external pips. Admittedly, I am waiting for Cilla to maybe take a break .. as much as I would like to camp out next to her, I figured that might just freak her out a little!
Good luck with that brief .. what, there is a world out there? Here I was thinking it was all broody hens and apprehension! lol

 

[Teila]

OK, time to head outside and let Britney and Dusty out for a hunt n' peck while I pretend to do stuff in the garden and kid myself that I am not stalking Cilla!! lol.
Team Broody will be the first to know if I have news!

 

[Teila]

OMG! We now have 3 eggs with definite holes in them (all the way through) and movement inside!!! Woooo hoooo

 

[lizgarf]

So exciting!!!