Hatching with 2 broodies

[Teila]

Happy dance, yipppeee, woo hoooo

Way to go IC! Beautiful bubbies, congratulations!

*Sigh* Suspicions confirmed, Tammy is, in fact, Tommy and he had his first crowing attempt this morning .. soo cute! Sadly, the advert has been placed

As I said, never again, from now on I am buying pullets!
Lucky I have Team Broody babies to fall in love with .. bring them on!! lol

 

[16 paws]

Happy dance, yipppeee, woo hoooo

Way to go IC! Beautiful bubbies, congratulations!

*Sigh* Suspicions confirmed, Tammy is, in fact, Tommy and he had his first crowing attempt this morning .. soo cute! Sadly, the advert has been placed

As I said, never again, from now on I am buying pullets!
Lucky I have Team Broody babies to fall in love with .. bring them on!! lol

Oh Teila,
Sorry to hear that Tammy is now Tommy....Darn it

Marie

 

[Teila]

Oh Teila,
Sorry to hear that Tammy is now Tommy....Darn it

Marie

Thank you Marie ... doing a little muffled cursing myself!

 

[lizgarf]

*Sigh* Suspicions confirmed, Tammy is, in fact, Tommy and he had his first crowing attempt this morning .. soo cute! Sadly, the advert has been placed

Oh, how sad!! S/he is so pretty! I'm sorry you can't keep him. My efforts with the man cave and the collar haven't convinced you to give it a try? I completely understand if not. I'm still not entirely sure why I keep Desi around, other than his being so beautiful, and letting me steal some cuddles when I put him in the man cave at night. I do not appreciate his messing up my girls' feathers, that's for sure! And, he is pretty loud, even with the collar. I'm lucky no one seems to care. I hope you have as good luck placing Tommy as you've had with the others.

You know, you could try giving Cilla some sexed chicks next time she goes broody - just a thought! That has its pros/cons too.

Frida broke surprisingly quickly this time around (maybe because she had been laying for less than a month, after her epic 6-month hiatus to hatch/raise 2 chicks). That was a lot less work on my part than protecting a hatch for several weeks!

Congrats on the chicks, IC!

 

[ItalyChickie]

Teila, I am so sorry about Tammy becoming Tommy! Someone will be very lucky to have that beautiful boy...

Thank you everyone for all the support while waiting for the hatch, and for the congratulations!

I have some bad news, unfortunately - the twin broody experiment is not going well.. I found a dead chick in there with them this morning, and another barely alive one, still wet, probably hatched shortly before I went down there - NOT under the hens, but in the middle... I can only assume that it's either due to inexperience or jealousy between the two.

I tried putting the still alive baby under Chiocciola, but 3 minutes later heard a commotion and saw her hitting him - definitely not in a "get under me" way, but quite the opposite. So I grabbed him and put him under Cenere, who didn't blink an eye. (I know she will accept others' chicks, tested last year, so not risking anything there.) Praying he is okay!

I am close to just giving up on the twins and redistributing the unhatched eggs (due today) at this point, however there is a perfectly healthy yellow chick under Chiocciola as well. So could it have been simply because it was me intervening? Or because this one was dark (dark gray, I think, though still wet, so not sure)? I heard some hens will only accept one color chicks... the dead one was light though, orange-yellow.

Really sad and not sure what to do. Will be watching them like a hawk for the next few hours, but I have an appointment this afternoon, so will have to make some decision by then.

Oh, on the plus side, I did see a couple of new babies under Cenere and Ombretta. Haven't had a good look yet, will keep you posted!

 

[Teila]

Howdy Team!

Oh no IC .. I am so sorry to read such sad news

I wonder if the broody twins are being over protective and trying to steal each others chicks as they would eggs and the poor little guys are getting caught in the cross fire. Good news that Cenere has accepted the little one. Is there some way you can put a divider between the twins in the short term so they cannot get to each other's chicks, just until you make a decision?

Fingers crossed and sending you lots of positive thoughts for the remainder of your hatch

Thank you all for your sympathies at Tammy becoming Tommy. I thought I heard a crow attempt on the weekend but I was still in bed, just woken up and put it down to maybe one of the many many birds we have around the place. This morning it was still dark when I went out to feed them and they were still all in bed. As the sun was rising I heard a distinctive croak/crow attempt from the Chateau which only Cilla, Blondie and Tommy/Tammy sleep in. While I am now fairly certain the news is not good, I will listen out and check tomorrow when I feed them. Bit sad that I am up and out of bed before the girls!

I would really love to keep him/her but as you mentioned Liz, besides the huge fact that he/she is very beautiful and I have grown very very fond of him/her, I can't think of a reason that I would want to keep a rooster and as sad as parting with him/her is going to be, I can't find a reason why I should put my girls, my neighbours, Tommy and myself through the possible trauma/inconvenience .. my neighbours are very close, David's upstairs bedroom window would only be 6 yards away (I converted that from metres for you lol). I checked our Council Bylaws again today and it distinctly says "No Roosters"; I just can't take that chance

Liz, yep sexed chicks might be the go but again, as you mentioned, there is risk involved there also. One being that may not be sexed correctly and two, the fear that she may not accept them. I would not even know where to start in sourcing sexed bantam chicks. Having said that, it is definitely food for thought and not totally out of the question.

I do have a Plan B if Tommy/Tammy has to go and that is to get Tina a Silkie-friend. Silkies are renown for not roosting and sleeping in a pile. Dusty does not roost and sleeps in a nest box with Tina in the Ranch. Cilla and Blondie would remain roosting in the Chateau. Dusty has been making attempts to go back to her favourite nest box in the Chateau and I have been closing the dividing door at bed time to encourage her to stay with Tina so Tina is not alone. I open the door again when they have all gone to bed so they are together in the morning. If I get Tina a Silkie-friend, they will be able to sleep together in a pile in the Ranch and Dusty will be able to return to her spot in the Chateau.

I have that week off next week and this might be a good time to investigate this option.

Well done on the nice and easy broody break Liz

 

[ItalyChickie]

Howdy Team!

Oh no IC .. I am so sorry to read such sad news

I wonder if the broody twins are being over protective and trying to steal each others chicks as they would eggs and the poor little guys are getting caught in the cross fire. Good news that Cenere has accepted the little one. Is there some way you can put a divider between the twins in the short term so they cannot get to each other's chicks, just until you make a decision?

Fingers crossed and sending you lots of positive thoughts for the remainder of your hatch

Thank you all for your sympathies at Tammy becoming Tommy. I thought I heard a crow attempt on the weekend but I was still in bed, just woken up and put it down to maybe one of the many many birds we have around the place. This morning it was still dark when I went out to feed them and they were still all in bed. As the sun was rising I heard a distinctive croak/crow attempt from the Chateau which only Cilla, Blondie and Tommy/Tammy sleep in. While I am now fairly certain the news is not good, I will listen out and check tomorrow when I feed them. Bit sad that I am up and out of bed before the girls!

I would really love to keep him/her but as you mentioned Liz, besides the huge fact that he/she is very beautiful and I have grown very very fond of him/her, I can't think of a reason that I would want to keep a rooster and as sad as parting with him/her is going to be, I can't find a reason why I should put my girls, my neighbours, Tommy and myself through the possible trauma/inconvenience .. my neighbours are very close, David's upstairs bedroom window would only be 6 yards away (I converted that from metres for you lol). I checked our Council Bylaws again today and it distinctly says "No Roosters"; I just can't take that chance

Liz, yep sexed chicks might be the go but again, as you mentioned, there is risk involved there also. One being that may not be sexed correctly and two, the fear that she may not accept them. I would not even know where to start in sourcing sexed bantam chicks. Having said that, it is definitely food for thought and not totally out of the question.

I do have a Plan B if Tommy/Tammy has to go and that is to get Tina a Silkie-friend. Silkies are renown for not roosting and sleeping in a pile. Dusty does not roost and sleeps in a nest box with Tina in the Ranch. Cilla and Blondie would remain roosting in the Chateau. Dusty has been making attempts to go back to her favourite nest box in the Chateau and I have been closing the dividing door at bed time to encourage her to stay with Tina so Tina is not alone. I open the door again when they have all gone to bed so they are together in the morning. If I get Tina a Silkie-friend, they will be able to sleep together in a pile in the Ranch and Dusty will be able to return to her spot in the Chateau.

I have that week off next week and this might be a good time to investigate this option.

Well done on the nice and easy broody break Liz

Thank you Teila, it really helps to have your support!

I actually had moved them to the corners yesterday and attempted to separate a bit by piling up the hay and putting the water dish between the two, after seeing them trying to steal eggs and thinking it wasn't a good idea at day 20... I wonder if this didn't make matters worse instead of better, where a chick was trying to get to a different mom but had to go a long way around and got lost? No idea... I am thinking I will take your suggestion a step further and improvise some sort of a smaller enclosure for each of them, so that the chicks can't move too far to begin with. I moved the others together with the nest boxes, but had removed those two because they were both in that tiny non-nest box and didn't fit. Bad move on my part...

On the positive side, I just peeked under Cenere (gotta love that girl, she is completely calm whatever I do!) and the transferred baby seems to be drying off and moving around a bit. (no pics of that one yet, for obvious reasons)

There are a couple of new yellow ones, and the ones that were born yesterday are roaming around and on top of moms. I'll attach a couple of pics. (I have a billion, obviously, most are all blurry though.)

I completely understand on giving up Tommy... Even though I can keep roosters, I wouldn't keep more than a couple of them (had to give up a beautiful Colombian Brahma one last year, also grown from a chick and a sweetie with me - but very rough on the girls due to being last of 3 roos and not getting many chances), so that's going to be a factor for me as well, eventually. I'll focus on keeping them alive for now though.

Good luck finding a Silkie friend for Tina, can't wait to meet her! I have no idea if there are bantam chicks sexable at birth... if that theory I posted is right, then maybe Silkie crosses? I might research that more.

In other news, Bonnie is definitely broody as well. Now, how do I tell her to wait a few weeks?? Lol. I also do the relocation technique... usually works after a few days, but boy this is going to be one busy week!

P.S. I've had to convert yards back to meters. Never got used to non-metric measurements, and don't get me started on temperatures!

 

[ItalyChickie]

Update: the one I saved this morning seems to be doing just fine with his/her new adoptive mom Cenere.





And we also have a penguin, who only showed himself for like 3 seconds, but I managed a quick picture.




No other hatchlings yet...poor Ombretta only has two babies, even though she started first, but refuses to give up... starting to think my roos aren't doing their jobs, even though I see them at it all the time.

Worried sick about the now separated and confined to smaller quarters twins, and the non-hatching eggs, and possibilities of them exploding... I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.

 

[tommysgirl]

Update: the one I saved this morning seems to be doing just fine with his/her new adoptive mom Cenere.





And we also have a penguin, who only showed himself for like 3 seconds, but I managed a quick picture.




No other hatchlings yet...poor Ombretta only has two babies, even though she started first, but refuses to give up... starting to think my roos aren't doing their jobs, even though I see them at it all the time.

Worried sick about the now separated and confined to smaller quarters twins, and the non-hatching eggs, and possibilities of them exploding... I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.

Lovely pics of sweet mamas and babies. Sorry for the troubles though

I want to thank you for saying what you did about the hatchlings not faring so well under the broody twins. It made me decide to separate tonight. I am going to candle and then put Petunia's eggs in the broody box under the coop then pop her in on top of them after dark. I hope everything goes well for the rest of your hatch

 

[Teila]

Aaaaw IC, adorable!

Tee hee, how did that little penguin get in there! Sooo cute! Really pleased to read that the saved bubby seems to be doing well

Good luck with the rest of the broodies, you are surrounded by them!

How long have you got to go TG?

Well, I spent quite a while watching Tommy/Tammy yesterday afternoon ... you know, maybe I am living in denial still, but I am not totally convinced and to add to my undecidedness, no crow attempts at breakfast this morning. He/she just jumped out of bed with Cilla and Blondie and proceeded to shovel down some breakfast and scratch around the run. I have had 114 hits on the advert but no replies as yet. Not too concerned at the moment, the longer it takes for someone to get back to me the more time Tommy/Tammy has to reveal his/her true gender.

On that note, I am throwing it out there to you gals .. give me your best guesstimate from the stance and comb/wattles in the last batch of pictures I posted

What do you think on pictures alone?