Hatching with 2 broodies

[Little Peep]

That is Awesome! Do you have a rooster? if you do I wouldn't buy fertile Eggs I would let your rooster do his thing and wait untill they have aggs and if they are trully broody they will lay on the eggs until they know they are ready to hatch Also they normally lay together so if one gets hungry or thirsty the other one can get egg duty while the other gets water and food, and it keeps switching and believe Me I know we had to take care of it but sadly our dog Roscoe Ate at least four of them so we brought them inside, bringing them inside IS a option But you can just put them in a safe place and they should be fine


Hope this helped ~Little Peep~

 

[Teila]

Hi Liz,

Yes going to cover the wall, with 10mm avairy mesh. It was 36 oC here yesterday, everyone suffering, Lola standing in the water poor thing. Also going to put some external nesting boxes (did i mention that?) and hatch out the back (fell like ive typed this before... Anyway). So yes to what you've said.

So the coop situation is. The one above, for layers and a rooster, a larger one which has become broody central for broody and young uns. A small one for 2-3 chook currently housing Mavis the broody. A few separate free range pens, one currently with Rocky the naughty Roo and a box for him to sleep in.

And the Broody egg summary is

Mavis at 12 days in with 4 good ones
Dotty at 4 days 10 eggs unchecked
Incubator at 4 days 6 out of 8 looking great

Confident for at least 10/22 remaining now.
28 started = 4 discarded, 10 unchecked, 2 not sure, 10 looking good

The Flock could be large soon

I live in awe of PM! I am still struggling with 5 x 7 week olds; more than enough for this little black duck for a while.

So, finally, after about 5 weeks when they all turned white and I had trouble telling them apart, I can now confidently tell the majority of them apart.
The two which I definitely think are boys are Thor and Loki; I can tell them apart by their comb colour and formation.
Tina is still Tina and has been since the day she hatched.
I still have trouble with the remaining two which are also girls (I think) but they are Suzie and Annie.

Apparently hubby heard one of them this morning making a bit of a racket so he raced out to see if they were OK; it was about 04:30am. He thinks, seeing they were OK, it might have been one of them having a go at crowing! Hhhhm, might have to start thinking about how I am going to find homes for the boys

If I am right and the other three are girls, I was only going to keep two; Tina has always been a keeper but I don't think I can pick between the other two, so looks like I will be keeping 3

 

[lizgarf]

Woo hooo Liz .. you getting eggs again is nearly as exciting as a hatch!

Haha! Thanks! I can't tell you how excited I was with that squat. Their out-going personalities are coming back too, for good or bad (for the garden). This 18-month molt thing was completely off my radar. If I had realized what was in store, I definitely would have gotten that 8-month old red star on Craigslist back in September. I was just thinking of perusing craigslist again, when Grace gave me her little squat!

Teila also said:
Tina is still Tina and has been since the day she hatched.
I still have trouble with the remaining two which are also girls (I think) but they are Suzie and Annie.

OK, I know who Tina and Annie are, but Suzie? Do you mean Souxsie Soux? She's a good puff-ball namesake.

 

[Teila]

Haha! Thanks! I can't tell you how excited I was with that squat. Their out-going personalities are coming back too, for good or bad (for the garden). This 18-month molt thing was completely off my radar. If I had realized what was in store, I definitely would have gotten that 8-month old red star on Craigslist back in September. I was just thinking of perusing craigslist again, when Grace gave me her little squat!

Teila also said:
Tina is still Tina and has been since the day she hatched.
I still have trouble with the remaining two which are also girls (I think) but they are Suzie and Annie.

OK, I know who Tina and Annie are, but Suzie? Do you mean Souxsie Soux? She's a good puff-ball namesake.

Tee hee Liz, maybe Grace squatted because she knew what you were planning .. more competition for the food! lol

Well, we have had a development at our place. After many hours of studying Silkies; I think I have X'd Silkies, they all have single combs (not walnut) and I have three that are definitely looking like boys; bigger combs than the other two and wattles! The other two are smaller in size, have smaller combs and no wattles yet. Throw in the attempt to crow this morning and I am now having to rethink my options. I don't think I can wait around for another 3 months to see what happens! If bubbies are not pure silkies they are probably developing sooner.

Suzi as in Suzi Quatro; sorry, typo with the 'e' lol. If I am right and I only have two girls, Tina and Suzi it is ... Annie might become Arnie!

 

[Pooman]

Chicky update.

Mavis - still has the 4 eggs, think,we will just leave her now
Dotty - Candled the eggs just now, discarded 1 dead one, 7 good ones, and 2 totally missing.... ***, just gone, so thats a mystery
Incubator - candled again and decided to discard the two dodgy ones, saw blood rings and it was all sloppy, not like the others at all, so 6 left

4+7+6 =17 chances still half way or more for 4 of them

Edit.. Just realised this puts Dotty strongly in line for looking after 13 little bubbles lol, that will be awesome, this is because I'll put the incubator chicks under her

Lola continues to look ill, not eating much, but still grooming and keeping her duties as surrogate mother up.
Fingers crossesed she perks up.

The two little ones are looking strong and are super active diggers lol i like watching them.

Speak soon girls

 

[Teila]

Howdy Team Broody

Still in awe Pooman

17! Legend!! lol
Awe, what's up with Lola? Did I miss something in past threads?

Well, 5 has become 2! I found a lady who does animal rescue and is moving to a property shortly. She wanted some Silkies and was not worried if they turned out to be boys. So, while very sad to see them go, in some way it is a good thing because they appear to have gone to a good home and now I can spend quality time with Tina and Suzi. I was finding it very difficult to spend enough time on all of them with teaching them to be OK with being picked up etc. Hopefully now with just the 2 bubbies and back to a total of 4, I can go back to showering them all with quality time
It is going to be a lot easier to organise free range time also because I will be able to keep an eye on Tina and Suzi more easily than everyone all running in different directions lol. Their new mumma has promised updates and pictures

Has been a busy few weeks here ... hopefully I will catch up with everyone in Team Broody soon and find out how everyone is doing xoxo

 

[lizgarf]

Well, 5 has become 2! I found a lady who does animal rescue and is moving to a property shortly. She wanted some Silkies and was not worried if they turned out to be boys. So, while very sad to see them go, in some way it is a good thing because they appear to have gone to a good home and now I can spend quality time with Tina and Suzi. I was finding it very difficult to spend enough time on all of them with teaching them to be OK with being picked up etc. Hopefully now with just the 2 bubbies and back to a total of 4, I can go back to showering them all with quality time

Oh my goodness!! That happened so quickly! It sounds like you found the perfect home for them, though! I hope Tina and Suzi are really pullets! (Suzi was my mom's name, so good choice there.) I'm sure that wasn't easy to do - I hope it goes well!

Nothing new to report here. Still no eggs from the adults. Still don't know for sure if I have one of each sex, but that's still looking like the most likely scenario. It was a rare below-freezing morning here. The chickens appeared unfazed.

I somehow managed to spend 4 hours last night shopping for plants online. It's a problem. (but I'm super excited about my orders! Though, I'll be less excited once I'm having to get them all in the ground.)

 

[Teila]

Oh my goodness!! That happened so quickly! It sounds like you found the perfect home for them, though! I hope Tina and Suzi are really pullets! (Suzi was my mom's name, so good choice there.) I'm sure that wasn't easy to do - I hope it goes well!

Nothing new to report here. Still no eggs from the adults. Still don't know for sure if I have one of each sex, but that's still looking like the most likely scenario. It was a rare below-freezing morning here. The chickens appeared unfazed.

I somehow managed to spend 4 hours last night shopping for plants online. It's a problem. (but I'm super excited about my orders! Though, I'll be less excited once I'm having to get them all in the ground.)

Hey there Liz

Yeah, it was kind of tough to do but I have been telling myself all along that I could not keep all of them. I also hope with all my heart that Tina and Suzi are pullets and I have a feeling I have made the right decision .. time will tell and I will have no-one to blame but myself

Still no eggs?! Really?! Aaaw, Liz, that's not good! We are back to 1-2/day which is plenty for us. Are your hours of sunlight during the day shorter at this time of year? Would the cold and reduced daylight hours be affecting their laying as well?

What a nice way to spend 4 hours Liz! Yeah, while still fun, the getting them in the ground is not really the best bit ... watching them grow is the best bit!! I am hoping for a nice weekend so that I can spend some time in the garden, the lawns definitely need a mow .. also want to let Tina and Suzi out for an explore

 

[texgardengal]

Hi everyone! Wow, there's been a lot going on! busy busy...I gotta catch up! I've been working so much lately....Such bad timing with Miss Molly so close.... I worried myself sick being away. Too bad hens dont count as "family" so I could take some days off.... Oh well, I dont get paid time off anyway. ha ha Now we are down to just a couple of days until hatching time!!! Miss Molly still has the 7 eggs...no broken eggs or problems...yet.
Quote: I agree!!! How do you do it? PM?? I love your coops! nice....all the candeling. and keeping up with all that. I'm amazed. I have 7 little eggs and Molly is doing all the work and I'm still a mess!!! I hope Lola is OK.... What do you do in a case like that? Is there supplements or medicine ? I'm totally lost with sick hens... I would have to start with the vet but I'm sure you have experience with that type of thing. I do hope everything turns out fine and she starts feeling better and getting her pep back. I did try my hand at candeling, I didnt do very well, I didnt know if it was because they were so dark...they lay dark brown eggs. Or if I just had absolutely no idea what I was looking at....probably the latter. So, I just left all 7 and am hoping for the best. Molly has had no help with the "sitting". Sassy has made no attempts at the "team hatching" whatsoever. Miss Molly may not allow it. Not sure which. She has done very well, she takes her little break every day and looks plump and healthy. No one seems to be bothering her so I've just let her be... Wouldnt you know it...now that it is hatching time it is supposed to be in the "teens" this weekend. Down in the 20's tonight and even lower tomorrow and Saturday night..predicted. It's sleeting now. In Texas, when we get any sleet or snow everything just shuts down. We dont know what to do with the cold stuff...haha School let out early and will probably be closed tomorrow. My boys are happy but I'm not! With Miss Molly doing so well where she is I hate to move her so close to hatching time but with the cold temps, I may have no choice? My hatching boxes are a little but higher that ground level and if a baby fell out....I would just die!!! I dont know how soon they start moving around after they hatch. I'm so stressed!!!!!

So sorry to hear you cant keep the roosters Teila. But it sounds like they have a good home and like you said, you can spend more time with your girls. Thats funny... the "attempts" at crowing. ha ha, That's something I look forward to. The new "crowing" and all the new little personalities. I just thought about that....I already have 2 roosters. And they are such good boys, what if I have others....hmmmm that may not be such a goog thing. What are my chances at having 7 hens. hahaha

Liz? what's going on with your kids? no eggs. It's been a while... that's weird. I know the shorter days are supposed to do that but that's pretty drastic. NO eggs at all? My hens didnt lay for a couple of months after they moved over here.. Maybe it is the change with the new babies and the shorter days.... a lot of changes at one time.

 

[lizgarf]

Still no eggs?! Really?! Aaaw, Liz, that's not good! We are back to 1-2/day which is plenty for us. Are your hours of sunlight during the day shorter at this time of year? Would the cold and reduced daylight hours be affecting their laying as well?

The days are shorter now - about 9 hours 40 minutes to be precise - but that didn't stop Stella from laying last year, and Grace started laying in November last year. I think it's the 18-month molt - apparently some hens take a long time to recover and both Grace and Bettina had pretty extreme molts. The two broodies haven't fully weaned the babies yet - they still act as much like a family as ever. With the squats, I figured Grace was ready to lay, so maybe she's hiding them somewhere while free-ranging. She's done that before. I sure hope I get more eggs soon - down to 4 store-bought ones left, and I don't want to buy more!

Daisy may have convinced me s/he's Desi today. He sort of jumped on Rousseau at one point and was acting more brazen with everyone and standing apart from the others, between them and Zorro (the cat) when he was in the yard. Still no crowing or rooster coloring (they're supposed to show their copper bits sooner in this breed), but I guess I need to get mentally ready to try to keep a rooster or find a home for one. On the plus side, Ida seems like a pullet for sure. Her comb is still small and yellow and her shape and attitude are all girl! Now, if only she wasn't so scared of me!