Hatching with 2 broodies

[16 paws]

Hello all,
Just a quick update on adding some little 2 day old silkies to Pennys new clutch.

NOT!!!!

I thought everything was fine, I snuck them down there at night and placed them by her, they were chirping and then silence. I thought this is going to work!

First thing the next morning I raced down to the coop to make sure all was still well.

IT WASNT!

As I was watching she started pecking the new additions. I watched for a few minutes thinking she was just training them. Then she started being down right MEAN to them. So I got them away from her as fast as I could. She really flogged one pretty bad and I thought it wasnt going to make it.
I held it next to my chest a few minutes to warm it up and then rushed it up to a box with a heat light on her. Well she wasnt moving for a good 2 or so hours and I started to beat myself up for even trying to add some more babies.

After a while my husband started checking on her, (the big chicken, me) couldnt bear to look.
Well, to make a long story short,

SHE MADE IT!

She is doing fine!

I think all that happened because they were a lot smaller than the chicks she already had. Learned a good lesson there....
Here is the brooder and the chicks I will be raising. Six little silkies...






Actually I am glad I get to have them up here in my enclosed patio because I get to see them a lot more!
Marie

 

[Lesa Mae]

Hello all, Just a quick update on adding some little 2 day old silkies to Pennys new clutch. NOT!!!! I thought everything was fine, I snuck them down there at night and placed them by her, they were chirping and then silence. I thought this is going to work! First thing the next morning I raced down to the coop to make sure all was still well. IT WASNT! As I was watching she started pecking the new additions. I watched for a few minutes thinking she was just training them. Then she started being down right MEAN to them. So I got them away from her as fast as I could. She really flogged one pretty bad and I thought it wasnt going to make it. I held it next to my chest a few minutes to warm it up and then rushed it up to a box with a heat light on her. Well she wasnt moving for a good 2 or so hours and I started to beat myself up for even trying to add some more babies. After a while my husband started checking on her, (the big chicken, me) couldnt bear to look. Well, to make a long story short, SHE MADE IT! She is doing fine! I think all that happened because they were a lot smaller than the chicks she already had. Learned a good lesson there.... Here is the brooder and the chicks I will be raising. Six little silkies... Actually I am glad I get to have them up here in my enclosed patio because I get to see them a lot more! Marie

So glad to hear she is doing okay these little silkies are just the cutest little fuzz balls

 

[tommysgirl]

Candled my Del eggs and there are 8 embryos in 9 eggs. I opened the other one and it was non fertile. put the rest back under Jamie Lee who pecked me for my trouble. This is day 9 12 more to go Yippee!

Oh and I got an egg from Gracie Belle today! Her first since she came to us.

 

[tommysgirl]

Hello all,
Just a quick update on adding some little 2 day old silkies to Pennys new clutch.

NOT!!!!

I thought everything was fine, I snuck them down there at night and placed them by her, they were chirping and then silence. I thought this is going to work!

First thing the next morning I raced down to the coop to make sure all was still well.

IT WASNT!

As I was watching she started pecking the new additions. I watched for a few minutes thinking she was just training them. Then she started being down right MEAN to them. So I got them away from her as fast as I could. She really flogged one pretty bad and I thought it wasnt going to make it.
I held it next to my chest a few minutes to warm it up and then rushed it up to a box with a heat light on her. Well she wasnt moving for a good 2 or so hours and I started to beat myself up for even trying to add some more babies.

After a while my husband started checking on her, (the big chicken, me) couldnt bear to look.
Well, to make a long story short,

SHE MADE IT!

She is doing fine!

I think all that happened because they were a lot smaller than the chicks she already had. Learned a good lesson there....
Here is the brooder and the chicks I will be raising. Six little silkies...






Actually I am glad I get to have them up here in my enclosed patio because I get to see them a lot more!
Marie

So glad she made it! Good job being attentive. Silkies have a way about them don't they.

 

[lizgarf]

Hey there, strangers!

I finally caved, and checked in. What has it been, a little over a week? There is no way I can catch up on all of these posts or respond to everyone!!! But, I did see enough to be able to say: so many cute bubbies!!!! And Teila, I'm so happy to hear you found a good home for Tommy, and yay for frizzles!!! Welcome, Lulu!!

So, I was on a local homesteading listserve, which I finally dropped off of because there were way too many emails taking over my life (sound familiar?), but the day before I dropped, I responded to an email from someone looking for fertile eggs for her kids' preschool, just to answer questions, and then we realized we worked together at camp 20 years ago! Long story short, she came by today to buy a dozen eggs to hatch at the preschool! I have many mixed feelings about this! I feel very guilty sending my girls' eggs off to someone's incubator while breaking my broodies (Grace is broody again. but looks almost broken), and I know I'm going to wind up helping them look for rooster homes, and I don't want to hear about the ones who don't make it, and I'll be jealous about not keeping the ones who do . . . BUT, I'm also kind of excited. The preschool is right down the street from me, so I'll be able to see any grandchicks that make it!

In the meantime, I'm holding out for August - someone is bound to be broody then. My regular egg customer decided he wasn't paying me enough, and now gives me $12 a dozen. Totally weird, right?

Not much else to report. Life is busy, springtime is beautiful, work is depressing.
Miss y'all! Anyone ever hear from TGG and her exponentially increasing flock?

 

[randerson846]

Ooh can't wait to hear what your girls think of their breakfast tomorrow!

I use ACV as well, didn't even think to ask about stopping when starting FF... Do you think that the two together would affect the pH balance too much, is that why? Sorry, I don't know the answer, just trying to figure out the reason for the question in case I'm missing something.


@randerson846
Yay!!! e little ducklings soon! What day are they on?

I'm on day 7 today and I'm putting in my chicken eggs today

 

[Teila]

Howdy n' virtual hugs Team

16 paws, aaaw I really felt for you when I read the comment "After a while my husband started checking on her, (the big chicken, me) couldnt bear to look." I know that feeling well! I am so pleased for you that she pulled through; well done! Yeah, it is kind of exciting that you now get to raise them and also be 'mum'

Silkies!

That is a cool brooder you have there, lots of room for them.

TG, congrats on the egg development so far, sounds very promising and worth the peck from mum
Additional congratulations on your first Gracie Belle egg; she probably has no idea how exciting it is for you, she had been there before

Liz, howdy stranger, glad you could drop in and to hear that you are doing well; you have been missed
I think getting to see the grand-kiddies would be good; aaaw little bubby Desi's

Please keep us updated on how they go.
I'm not sure "totally weird" is the term I would be using to describe you egg customer, more like "totally wonderful". Well done on finding him and kudos also on producing such great eggs.

randerson846, got everything crossed and sending positive thoughts for a successful hatch and also that the time flies past quickly; it never did for me! lol

So, Day 4 of the FF experiment.
As mentioned, they had a side dish of lettuce and egg, the dry seed was taken away and replaced with FF.
I got home very interested to see how much, if any of the FF they had eaten. They had maybe pecked at it but it didn't look much different to when I put it in there. The side dish was all gone.

Knowing my girls and how much they do not like change, when I gave them afternoon tea, which is a much smaller portion of the breakfast held over and sprinkled in their favourite spot as opposed to in a bowl in the run, I added a couple of piles of the FF in the mix. I thought they would be hungry and chow down on the additional egg and lettuce but nope, they had a peck at it and then wandered around the garden. These chickens are definitely spoilt!

Anyway, my turn to cut a long story short ... Lulu started pecking at the egg and lettuce and then tried some of the FF, she appeared to get a taste for it and ate more of it than the egg etc. Next Tina came along and actually walked over the egg etc and had a taste of the FF, she also seemed to like it. Blondie and Dusty were next and finally Cilla. In the end, all of the FF was gone and there was still some egg etc left.

Now that they have a taste for it, I am more optimistic about tomorrow's breakfast. The side dish tomorrow is rice, corn, peas and green beans which is not their favourite, they like the corn, peas and green beans but "you know what you can do with your rice!". lol

To sum up, while not as successful as I hoped, I am definitely optimistic that tomorrow will be different now they have tasted it and associate the look and smell.

I remember when I first tried Cilla and Dusty on watermelon; wouldn't touch it, they were scared of it! When the Silkie chicks were a bit older, I thought I would try them on watermelon, they tried it straight away and as they seemed to be enjoying themselves Cilla and Dusty came over and gave it a try also, they love it now!

My girls definitely need some encouragement when it comes to change

 

[randerson846]

So there was an incident i was turning the eggs and i sort of dropped on in to the incubator not from a hight height, but just enough to make a crack, and just my luck it was in of the three duck eggs i had in, it wasn't big just like hair lines, and i have heard that if u put nail varnish on the crack it should be fine so thats what i done ( straight away ) will this be okay they are 7 days into incubation, and i was developing veins, it was one of my farthest a head duck eggs (out of the three)

 

[tommysgirl]

So there was an incident i was turning the eggs and i sort of dropped on in to the incubator not from a hight height, but just enough to make a crack, and just my luck it was in of the three duck eggs i had in, it wasn't big just like hair lines, and i have heard that if u put nail varnish on the crack it should be fine so thats what i done ( straight away ) will this be okay they are 7 days into incubation, and i was developing veins, it was one of my farthest a head duck eggs (out of the three)

No way of knowing but it sounds like you did what you could. Good Luck!

 

[randerson846]

Ok

No way of knowing but it sounds like you did what you could.  Good Luck! 

thanks hopefully three weeks today i should have some chicks and ducklings