Hatching with 2 broodies

[ItalyChickie]

Ok, so here is the latest here.....
My neighbor has complained a couple of times about the roosters crowing. We live on almost 4 acres and are in the unincorporated county of San Diego, not the city. I have 3 bantam roos. 1 polish and 2 cochin. We are allowed to have 25 chickens including one roo is what I remember when we started keeping chickens a couple years ago. She has yelled out over the fence one time "I've about had it, that rooster needs to go into the pot". Yesterday she called to tell me "you are going to very sorry if you don't get rid of your roosters." I immediately said "are you threatening me?" She said, well no, not bodily but in other ways with making things hard for you or something to that effect. I was so mad to tell you the truth I cant remember word for word. I did not want to answer with something I would regret so I told her I would have my husband call her. He always stays calm while I tend to be like a vicious Mother protecting her young when I get riled up!

So we both decided to ignore her and let her do what she needs to do. Now I am scared that the big bad chicken police are going to come to my house and count chickens. I do believe I have a few over 25 but that is counting babies. If we use Tommysgirl chicken counting methods I am under but I don't know if they will see it that way. lol I was going to say I am chicken sitting for a friend.

By the way this lady is a cranky old woman that complains about a lot of things in our neighborhood. Our coop is no where near her bedroom window and they are bantams. I am going to look into the collar thing, I know Liz used it. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

PS, one more thing. That night after she complained I packed the 2 bantam roos up in carriers and was going to take them to the feed store, they will re-home. This got the whole flock to clucking....they were very upset, I just couldn't do it. I actually let her bully me last year and got rid of my roo Trousers for her and I regretted doing it. The ladies really missed him. This time I will fight for my right to keep at least one roo.
Marie

Marie, I'm so sorry, that's a terrible neighbor to have! I don't have any better advice than what already has been said - I think some of the ideas are totally genius, by the way - but just wanted to see if there are any new developments on that front? My guess would be that even if she does complain, it will probably get ignored. I mean really, don't authorities have more important things to do than listen to a cranky old woman? Like rescue cats stuck in trees or something? I bet they prefer that.

I understand though, I'd have been very upset too. Hope you've calmed down and have a plan of action by now with all those great suggestions.

Howdy Team

Apologies in advance, this one is a bit 'photo heavy'.

As planned, we got the coop remodel done today. Started at 08:30am and 7 hours hours later while not quite finished, it is usable and keeping them dry, warm and safe. There are a few 'touch ups' required here and there but we were exhausted and it was time for their dinner and getting close to their bed time also!

OK, I am the first to admit that it is not pretty but it works well and I am sure they do not mind that it does not qualify for the front cover of Chicken Coops Monthly

As I said, not pretty but definitely functional, I still have easy access for coop cleaning and egg collection, feeding etc.

So, what did they think at bedtime? To be expected, there was some confusion and instead of sleeping in the Chateau as per normal, Dusty bunked down with Tina and Lulu. Tina was a little reluctant to go into the Ranch but seemed happy enough once she was in there and saw her bed

Time will tell; there was, however, a definite improvement in that Cilla and LuLu were not running up and down the run as they have been of late; LuLu because she wanted to sleep with everyone, not just Tina and Cilla because she appeared to not like some of her charges too far away.

I will keep you updated on how they go

Thanks for looking

I think it looks perfectly functional, which is what counts, and it sounds like the girls agree! Great job!

sad news... I checked on Wendy whose eggs are due tomorrow. a chick had already hatched, it was laid in the broody's nest so possibly had a head start. the others are not pipped yet. well, she crushed it. the chick hatched out completely, but she laid on it too hard and killed the chick. it was almost flattened into the nest. I pulled the other eggs and gave her fake ceramic eggs, the real ones are now in the hatcher.

what do I do??? how can I trust her now?? is it because she has not been sitting long enough, she doesn't know to keep her weight off them? I watched my other 2 broodies Beetlejuice and Bertha carefully hover over the chicks, lifting their bodies off them. is she just too heavy/fat? maybe if she sat the full 21 days she would be thinner. today is her day 8 or 9 I think. she was contributing to Bertha's nest for 10 days prior to sitting down solid.

I guess I am going to hatch these chicks inside. let them get a little stronger and then give them to her? how can I know that she won't kill them again?

bleh

Edit: she is really PANCAKED into the nest hard. and there is a lot of nesting material in her box, a few inches thick and rounded out. maybe if I removed all the nesting material she couldn't crush them. I dunno

Ok, I might be a bit late with the reply and I know I am totally guessing here so take all that follows as my personal opinion only and definitely not an expert one, but I really really find it hard to believe that a hen can crush a chick, no matter how heavy/clumsy etc. Because if that was the case, you would have scrambled eggs under her by now, rather than eggs due to hatch. I don't know if you ever tried to feel under, but there is actually plenty of room because the chest gets concave when they're in that position, so a healthy chick would have found a safe place... and I think that's the key to what happened, it wasn't a healthy chick or even a live chick - it didn't get crushed to death, it got crushed when already dead, or maybe it was even dead in shell because the egg was fragile...did you see the egg shell by the way? was it broken cleanly in two, or was it crushed? was there blood? asking because the fragile egg with a hairline crack thing happened to me, and the result would be the egg breaking as the chick gets bigger - a couple days before the hatch.

Anyway, guesses aside, I gave chicks to Bonnie (a first time broody, since she was a chick herself last year) during the day and had no issues whatsoever, except for one moment of panic that they wouldn't all fit under. She was separated, in a dark-ish quiet place by herself, so I left her alone for the most part but spied on her every now and then, I doubt the fact that it was day time made a big difference.

Good luck whatever you decide!

here are the babies: The dark one is probably a boy...head spot is usually a good indicator my luck the rest are boys too

They are so so precious!!! Here's hoping for LOTS of girls this time around.

Hey Team,
Well I'm sorry I haven't been on for ages as I have been very busy I hope everyone is well as well as there chickens & chicks

everyone over here is good and guess what three weeks ago yesterday Sunshine my rhode rock hen went broody and she hatched out six cream crested legbar chicks which are auto-sexing and we have 3 hens, 2 cockerels and 1 mystery yellow fluff ball I am going to keep the two cockerels as they are going to be my new layers and breeders next year but also my uncle had put the same cream crested legbar eggs in his incubator and some other breed eggs just a day after sunshine had her eggs so last night we gave her six chicks from the incubator 4 hens, 1 black mottled Peking chick and another yellow mystery fluff ball and then what ever else hatches today we are also going to give her sunshine is such a good mummy and has taken to them straight away mhhmmm it's going to be a strange sight to see a hen with 15 odd chicks Lol I will make sure to post lots of pics also Millie's two chicks are grown up now the one with the black bobble on its head turned out to be a cockerel and the more goldfish one a hen I have now sold the cockerel to a lovely lady. But as for Muffin she turned out to be not such a good mum she hatched two chicks out and one just suddenly went missing with no traces and then the remaining chick she did have was very small and never thrived and at night the little thing would go and sleep under Maddy with her three babies but a couple of days ago the little one just went missing again with no traces and I was very unhappy I do not think I am going to let Muffin hatch any more chicks out as I don't want this to happen again

but on the other hand Maddy successfully hatched out all three of the eggs I gave her and she is a brilliant mum I will try and post pics of everyone.
Take Care
P.s congrats teila on your egg from Cilla
E

Hey stranger, good to hear all is well!

You know, that picture above looks like it was taken in my front yard, roo and hens included (well, if you mask the black on the white ones, that is) - for a moment, I couldn't understand how you got it, thought it was mine!

I'll have to try and replicate from the same angle.

Oh please don't misunderstand my broodys are not being kept in shoe boxes, they are in the coop and I will section off their own small areas when hatch time arrives. Actually one of them is sectioned off now, but that is because she has a bad case of sour crop and she needs to fast for a day or so.


Well I must say so far the Brinsea mini incubator has done a very good job (shipped eggs, and 5 out of 6 have viable embryos at the 10 day mark, the non-viable had a detached air cell from shipping). That little machine turns them, allows for a programmable cool down period, keeps the humidity darn near perfect, no I don't work for Brinsea but I am impressed with it!)

And yes, I am nervous about the actual hatching part, I am sure you are right, hatching under real hens is far better than an incubator. I would bet the cheeping and mama talking is very encouraging to the littles trying to get out of the eggs. I have just never done this before and my girls have been working sooooo hard for chicks! It seems there is so much that can go wrong during the actual hatching part....but I need to trust and not over analyze (the fact I have two broodies and am still using an incubator kind of hints of over analyzing and hedging bets...lol).

Also I am not a breeder, I want a little rooster and if possible will keep all of the babies, so we won't be doing this every year.

My two cents - usually if something happens to the broody's eggs, it happens way before hatch... like when others try to get in and break an egg, etc. But the actual hatch time has always been perfect, no issues at all. Obviously your decision, but I would trust the hens.

Keep us posted, can't wait to see the babies!

 

[ItalyChickie]

the real variable in your equation is that your eggs are shipped. shipped eggs are extremely challenging to hatch and often result in low hatch rates! I think for that reason alone, I personally would hatch them inside and move them over once the chicks are dried and fluffed up. I would leave the developing eggs under the hen. basically I would keep everything the same as it is now, all the way through the hatch.

I think that changing conditions (incubator, broody, incubator, broody) may have killed some of my eggs. I had 5 eggs due at the same time (plus 2 more staggered a few days after; they haven;t hatched yet). I incubated them myself, and moved them under the broody when it was day 19. on day 21, one chick had hatched out and been accidentally (?) crushed by the hen. I am not sure why/how this happened, but I did remove the remaining 4 eggs and put them back in the incubator because of it. 2 eggs hatched, and 2 did not make it. 1 looks to have died around day 20 (probably when I took them back), and the other died earlier than that.

In the back of my mind I am wondering if changing their conditions and carrying them back and forth caused the 2 not to hatch... I wish I had just left them alone so I would know for sure. so I think that is my advice to you leave them there, and once they're out move them over.

The 2 survivors hatched yesterday and I gave them some time to get their legs working. once they were up and standing and fluffed out, I moved them under the broody hen. she accepted them immediately! I had them in my hand and covered them with my hoodie sleeve. I tucked them right under her wing and she never saw them. she started clucking to them right away. I also thought by putting them under the wing they might not get squished (the squished one was under her breast)

Oops, you posted as I was typing - I am really glad to hear all is well with the 2 survivors!

Enjoy them - and I'm looking forward to pics!

 

[Farmer Viola]

I am sorry...I had that happen to a chick in Gracie Belle's clutch too but it was another hen that did the smooshing.

hugs,, thank you.... its okay now.. it is all a learning experience, right?

I always did it at night and then went down to the coop at first light to see if all was well. It always was fortunately. Maybe someone else can chime in about adding them during the day. I would feel ok to do it if you could see how things go. If she pecks them a little sometimes it is to tell them to get under her. She starts schooling them right away.
Marie

I guess that my only concern is that she killed the chick out of clumsyness and could do it again. but all of the experienced broody hatchers here in this thread don't seem to think she would have killed it, and for that I am extremely grateful!

FV thank you for your kind words and I like the new name ‘Ranchateau’ It certainly appears that we made the right decision.

Bed time last night still had some confusion attached but again, that is to be expected as we all know how allergic chickens are to change

I am so sorry to read about your loss and dramas with Wendy’s hatch

I do not have any experience with incubators and giving hatched chicks to broodys, sorry. I have read, however, that night time is best.

I am not sure about removing all the nesting material; I would think that if there was lots of nesting material, if she was a little ‘heavy’ with them, taking away any spongy support would not give them something to smoosh into?

Like 16 paws I wonder if there was not something amiss with this little one? Again, I am no expert and I also do not want to steer you in any way, but I would be surprised if she actually did squash it. Just my humble opinion but I do believe that a live chick would wriggle and squirm out from under any uncomfortable position mum might have it in? Maybe the chick was not a survivor and the reason it appeared squashed is that it had actually passed away and the squashing was where she was still sitting and it was not squirming out?

You are giving me so much hope, that it was the chick and not the hen. it is completely possible that it died another way, and was squished into the nest after death..

Yes do it when it is VERY dark and w/o flashlights as much as possible. Isolate them to the degree most possible so the babies will learn her voice. I isolated for 2 day sand it went great going to do the same with these new little ones.

Good Luck!!!!

ok, I have her isolated in her apartment. she has a nest in there, food, water, room to stand and move around. she can see out but it is mostly dark inside.

I'll give you my 2 cents on giving them to her during the day!! If you recall my first hatch had 3 co-mommas so as the final 3 eggs hatched they were in the general population so I just popped them in with the other babies under momma during the day as I discovered they hatched had no issues at all with that but remember momma already had 4 chicks at that point!

alright ya'll so here is what I did! They hatched out yesterday and I moved them under her today. It was at first dawn which is when I go down to the coop and open all the chicken houses up. it was barely light, and inside her private apartment it was much darker. I hid the chicks in my hoodie sweatshirt pocket, and I covered them with the sleeve as I put them in the nest. I tucked them under her wing, and also removed her fake eggs. she started clucking to them right away, did not show any hostility or dislike of the chicks at all. I stayed outside the nest to watch her (even though you cant really see anything under there) and she eventually turned around to face the back of the cage so I couldn't see her I guess? Silly Wendy. it seems to have gone well!! I checked on them again a few hours later and I could still see little feet from under her wings. 2 of 4 eggs hatched and the others were duds. I have another chick due tomorrow, and one more on Sunday. I am going to try and add them in when they hatch!

 

[chickencrazy999]

Hello everyone
Hope all is well
Okay so last night my uncle slipped the remaining chicks that hatched from his incubator under sunshine so now she has a total of 16 chicks! three cockerels 10 hens 1 little black mottled Peking chick and two mystery yellow fluff balls I will post some pics a bit later

 

[Farmer Viola]

Oops, you posted as I was typing - I am really glad to hear all is well with the 2 survivors!

Enjoy them - and I'm looking forward to pics!

I just figured out how to do Multi Quote I think we were posting at the same time! LOL
But I need Multi Quote to go across multiple pages! Can it do that? Hmm

sorry for so many posts in a row you guys.

Quote:

I really appreciate your taking the time to write this detailed response! I am so comforted that everyone here thinks she didn't kill it.

the chick did hatch out perfectly. I could hear it peeping the day before hatch, and so I knew it was hatching or close to it. it zipped the shell in half, the bottom half was in-tact (not crushed) and the top of the shell was sorta folded over on the inside of the egg. the chick was fully developed, it's navel was closed up, it didn't hatch early. it had no facial or leg deformities. the shell was toward the back of the hen's butt and the chick was under her breast in the front, flattened. there was no blood or yolk or anything, just the usual pink lining inside the eggshell. it looked really normal to me.

thanks for your experience adding during the day, too I just posted how I added them at dawn. which is technically daytime, but I really wanted to be able to go check on her and see if they're still alive. if I added them at night, I would not get a WINK of sleep hahaha

 

[Farmer Viola]

Hello everyone
Hope all is well
Okay so last night my uncle slipped the remaining chicks that hatched from his incubator under sunshine so now she has a total of 16 chicks! three cockerels 10 hens 1 little black mottled Peking chick and two mystery yellow fluff balls I will post some pics a bit later

wow 16 babies! I cannot wait to see pictures

 

[ItalyChickie]

Separate post for my news so that it doesn't get too long, although there isn't much to tell...

Had a bit of a remodeling emergency with the new babies, or rather the new mom... as I may have mentioned before, she's a Leghorn cross, which means she can fly - and by fly, I mean easily get out of the 2 mt/6ft fenced area she is in... well, apparently she decided that day 1 was a splendid time to teach the babies to escape from in there, and flew over and started calling them to her. One even managed to squeeze through the somewhat bigger gap than the fence by the entrance (I swear these are half the size of the chicks I have had up until now!) and of course, all kinds of chaos ensued.... soooo after she did this about 6 times in one day, we had to close off the top as well.... pretty much an all weekend job, and it seems a tad too much since I'll let them out anyway in about a week or less, but still, for the moment it's more secure, and her sister who is now sitting on eggs can fly too, so just in case she gets the same idea, it's better this way.

The new babies are feathering out so much quicker than the Cochins and Orps did during their first week! And somehow I have a feeling these might be the opposite to the previous theory, where boy feather out faster. The ones with longer and not L-shaped wings are so much bolder, and one even tried to pick a fight with one of Bonnie's 5-week olds today!

Bonnie and the gang of 13 are about ready to move into the big coop, but we need some remodeling there first, too, or they won't fit... so upcoming weekend is going to be much of the same.

Sad news on those Ameraucana eggs - most of them had detached air cells and are not looking good at all, even though it's hard to see with the blue shells, I think that maybe only two of them are developing.

Araucana ones, on the other hand, are doing great, and so are most of the booted bantam ones, except for two which started but then got blood rings... the other 8 are growing though - those are so easy to see into compared to the blue shell ones!

Hope I didn't miss anyone or any important updates. Some pics of the new babies, as well as the gang of 13 helping me out in the veggie garden.

 

[ItalyChickie]

I really appreciate your taking the time to write this detailed response! I am so comforted that everyone here thinks she didn't kill it.

the chick did hatch out perfectly. I could hear it peeping the day before hatch, and so I knew it was hatching or close to it. it zipped the shell in half, the bottom half was in-tact (not crushed) and the top of the shell was sorta folded over on the inside of the egg. the chick was fully developed, it's navel was closed up, it didn't hatch early. it had no facial or leg deformities. the shell was toward the back of the hen's butt and the chick was under her breast in the front, flattened. there was no blood or yolk or anything, just the usual pink lining inside the eggshell. it looked really normal to me.

thanks for your experience adding during the day, too I just posted how I added them at dawn. which is technically daytime, but I really wanted to be able to go check on her and see if they're still alive. if I added them at night, I would not get a WINK of sleep hahaha

Yep, the multi quote goes across pages, I do it all the time. But you probably figured it out by now.

My turn to apologize for so many posts in a row, now that I got a bit of time, I can't seem to be able to leave this thread!!! It's addictive I tell ya.

I really don't know what happened with that chick... I completely understand the worry and wanting to prevent it happening again, I did the same my last hatch after I realized that letting two hens share a nest was a big mistake, so ended up giving their chicks to the others - but just as I am sure that mine didn't actually hurt healthy chicks on purpose, I'm also sure yours didn't. I guess you know that by now, with the others integrating seamlessly.

And yeah, part of the reason I gave Bonnie chicks in the morning in full daylight was because there was no way I would have slept that night if I had waited! Was getting anxious enough as it was every time I had to be out of the earshot.

Anyway, glad all is well and the worrying is over, can't wait for pics!

 

[Farmer Viola]

adorable little lovelies!

they grow up so fast! mine are feathering out too!

now that these new chicks hatched, I can really see how BIG the 1 week old chicks are. I swear these chicks are growing faster than any I brooded indoors

both moms are still doing awesome together!



I was able to get this picture of a chick sticking it's head out by sitting in front of Wendy's nest for.....way too long! worth it.


edit: I literally cannot stop going down there every 30 minutes! help meeee

 

[16 paws]

Farmer Viola,

We cant help you because we would be doing the exact same thing. What fun it is to enjoy these new babies. I was so excited I wanted to sleep down there with them