Hatching with 2 broodies

[lizgarf]

We freeze every winter but this has been especially cold. The birds are fine though and the dogs don't mind either. We don't have landscape that can't take the cold so we are OK there too. Thanks for the Marans info. Again, so happy that your friends are doing well.

Thanks for your thoughts. I normally don't panic about far-away disasters, but I think with all the other traumas this week, personal disaster felt probable. The coverage that I finally found of the cyclone was very dramatic. These are some of my oldest/dearest friends, and they are like family to me (better than family, really), even though I only see or talk to them every couple of years.

Hatti is gorgeous! I think partridge coloring is my favorite. I didn't know about Icelandics. They sound rare - where did you get them? One of the roosters on the BYC Icelandic breed page looks just like a BCM.

 

[tommysgirl]

It is hard when you have loved ones that are far away, hard to reach and potentially in crises. You were right to be worried.

I got Hatti and Rue from BYC member Deann at Just struttin Farm http://www.juststruttinfarm.com/ She is in Novato so not too far from you. She hatched the Icelandics from eggs she got from a guy on a swap here on BYC but she doesn't breed them.

They are cool. They are a land race so haven't been bred for specific qualities but rather have evolved in Iceland over the centuries. Like Swedish Flower Hens they have no set coloring but also they have a variety of comb shapes. I bought 4 chicks from Deann. Two turned out to be cockerels one was colored very much like Hatti and Rue the Other was black with silver penciling and he had a crest. I would have like to have been able to keep him but we already have 3 roos.

Rue has feathered legs, Hatti has a crest but both have rose combs. However, other Icelandics don't. They are small, love to forage and lay a white egg which is pretty good sized considering their size. It is a bigger egg then my Dorking x Polish lays. They are pretty flighty in that they both...love to fly and they are not real keen on hanging out with me.

I won't get more of them but Tom likes them because they are cool looking and funny to watch so they stay.

 

[Pooman]

Chick update.

Mavis due to hatch 4 eggs on Thursday
Dotty is now only sitting on golf balls... The remaining 3 which were alive seem to have been killed by all the egg yolk which was spilt on them. No sign of rat since, and the coop now looks like Fort Knox lol it is at least sparrow proof.
The incubator - of the original 8 put in there 6 remain and look healthy, the 3 cleaner eggs rescued from under Dotty, 2 look good and one dead and discarded. So still looking at 8 from the incubator hatching in 9 days

The 2 little ones are doing really good. Digging the place to pieces. They love to dig

 

[Pooman]

So really hoping for 2 Hens with this first hatch, they have been through so much and are now alone, they are always together, scratching around, turning to each other when something scary is going on. I feel sorry for the little orphans. They are returning to the nest with the heat pad, where they hatched and lived with 2 mothers. It would be nice if they get to live together but I cant have any more boys..... So we will see what happens, go girls

 

[lizgarf]

Just had to share this one.
Still a family (when they're not trying to out-puff each other or get in some head-pecks, they can be pretty darn sweet):

 

[Teila]

Just had to share this one.
Still a family (when they're not trying to out-puff each other or get in some head-pecks, they can be pretty darn sweet):

Liz, that is gorgeous!

Lots of pecking at our place also. Cilla has gone from being a devoted mumma to a bully but I notice this morning that she did not go out of her way to peck Tina and Suzie, so hopefully that whole pecking order thing is now established and we can go back to peace and tranquility.

I'm getting somewhere with the 'training' also. Suzie was talking to me yesterday; responding to my chatter with peeps; not just food demands Also, Tina came (on her own) when I called so not just following the leader

 

[Pooman]

18 hours out from Mavis' 21 days.... Chickciting

It's the middle of the night... Quarter past 3 just got back from a job, didn't get to see my girls and boys today. I'll get some photons tomorrow, need to show you the development and my early guess is a boy and a girl, there is pinkness and swelling where the comb will be on the little guy.... Ill show when I wake up

 

[texgardengal]

Hey everyone.
I was so very sorry to hear about Lola, Pooman. And Liz the sad news of your friends illness. What devastating news for a young family. So sorry. Seems silly to worry over ice, bad weather, hens, chicks, when you hear of such news. It makes you count your blessings and be thankful doesn't it.
We have had such a bad stretch of weather. The schools have been closed for a week. Unheard of here in texas but the ice was just so thick and the weather stayed so cloudy abd cold there was no thawing...
I went to the store to get bread and such but the store shelves were bare. Lol. The trucks can't get through. Crazy
I went out this morning and threw out some food to coax Molly from the nest. Counted the eggs and heard a chirp!!! I startled me so I almost tripped over Bart. I saw one tiny crack in the shell! Yea!!!! It was all I could do to come back in the house. We are almost there. I'm still worried with the cold weather but she seems to have things under control.

 

[lizgarf]

Hey everyone.
I was so very sorry to hear about Lola, Pooman. And Liz the sad news of your friends illness. What devastating news for a young family. So sorry. Seems silly to worry over ice, bad weather, hens, chicks, when you hear of such news. It makes you count your blessings and be thankful doesn't it.
We have had such a bad stretch of weather. The schools have been closed for a week. Unheard of here in texas but the ice was just so thick and the weather stayed so cloudy abd cold there was no thawing...
I went to the store to get bread and such but the store shelves were bare. Lol. The trucks can't get through. Crazy
I went out this morning and threw out some food to coax Molly from the nest. Counted the eggs and heard a chirp!!! I startled me so I almost tripped over Bart. I saw one tiny crack in the shell! Yea!!!! It was all I could do to come back in the house. We are almost there. I'm still worried with the cold weather but she seems to have things under control.

Awesome news, TGG!! I was just thinking about you and wondering if we'd hear something soon.
Sorry to hear about the ice storms! Crazy! I feel silly complaining about the little bit of frost-damage here. Time to bake your own bread?

Congrats on the new chicks, PM! Looking forward to pictures all around.

 

[tommysgirl]

Hey everyone.
I was so very sorry to hear about Lola, Pooman. And Liz the sad news of your friends illness. What devastating news for a young family. So sorry. Seems silly to worry over ice, bad weather, hens, chicks, when you hear of such news. It makes you count your blessings and be thankful doesn't it.
We have had such a bad stretch of weather. The schools have been closed for a week. Unheard of here in texas but the ice was just so thick and the weather stayed so cloudy abd cold there was no thawing...
I went to the store to get bread and such but the store shelves were bare. Lol. The trucks can't get through. Crazy
I went out this morning and threw out some food to coax Molly from the nest. Counted the eggs and heard a chirp!!! I startled me so I almost tripped over Bart. I saw one tiny crack in the shell! Yea!!!! It was all I could do to come back in the house. We are almost there. I'm still worried with the cold weather but she seems to have things under control.

Yay for pips!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck stay warrm!