Hatching with 2 broodies

[Sonya9]

the 3 week old Mottled Java chicks are slightly less feathered, I think 1 is a female it is much more feathered than the other 2..
here they are almost integrating with the rest of the flock

Wow....all gorgeous! Very nice large pen too! How many chickens and how big is that pen?

 

[Farmer Viola]

Also thank you for those links! That "Must Read Hatching Guide" is awesome and is the reason the little assisted hatch boy is alive today. He never would have gotten out of that egg being all backward and stuck and using his little foot to pip (and also screaming his head off which was a wise on his part)

He thanks you for the link! The link explains things so well, assisted hatching doesn't have to mean committing to "peel the shell off the chick" it means helping a little, and if needed a little more depending on how things are going.

You are so welcome Sonya I'm glad you helped the little guy out!! I had no idea you had used my links, that is awesome! I STILL refer to them all the time when I do artificial incubation, I think the first link in particular is great because of the illustrations and photos. I use that internal pip photo all the time too. The author is who deserves the real credit, I just promote the article!

You are so right about helping a little and waiting. It takes extreme patience and a lot of time in between. I have also made those little 'egg caps' that the article illustrates when assisting, they work wonderfully.
Once, I actually created an external and internal pip for an egg which was overdue and malpositioned. That was when I needed to use the egg cap. Since I made the internal pip so it could take it's first breath, the veins were not receeded at all yet, I could see them from the top. it was the perfect time to use a cap. the veins were turning dark red/black which means it is running out of co2 and needs to breathe soon or will die. That chick hatched assisted and lived, it was from a shipped egg which is why I think it was malpositioned. often the chalazae breaks when the eggs are shaken in transit and the yolk doesn't sit in the center anymore.. after what I have seen of shipped eggs, I'm done ordering them. the difference with hatching local or homegrown eggs is night/day.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Wow....all gorgeous! Very nice large pen too! How many chickens and how big is that pen?

oh thank you!!

we have 8 acres and I think they have access to about 4-6 of it? right now it is divided in half for the meatbird flock, but it was almost too much room for the main flock before the division. its a huge area, I don't really know the dimensions, sorry the grass has started dying out in the most heavily trafficked area so we have started watering it daily instead of weekly, hopefully it can replenish because it isn't getting a rest til the meatbird flock is processed in 2 months.
the coop and run aren't quite as big, but they free range from 6am til 9pm so it works. I think our coop is 6x8 and 8ft tall, with a medium and high roost inside. and a new low roost too. the run is 8x16? and 8ft tall. enclosed with fencing underground and above. we have never had any predator losses, knock on wood! the chicks cannot escape the run, but they can fit out of the fencing used around the free-range area. they are just starting to get too wide but they still manage to squeeze through. soon they will be too big, I hope!

I have 6 hens (3 were broody and 3 layers), 7 pullets around 5-6mos, 2 cockerels, and the 8 chicks. oh and I just added four 2month old pullets from the meatbird side of the fence.. they are mutt mixes, and all blue-colored! I am in love with blues... they are a blue cochin, a blue maranxwyandotte, and a blue olive egger!!
15 chickens, 8 chicks, and 4 adolescents = 27 chickens! and still we only get 1-3 eggs a day

 

[Sonya9]

oh thank you!!

we have 8 acres and I think they have access to about 4-6 of it? right now it is divided in half for the meatbird flock, but it was almost too much room for the main flock before the division. its a huge area, I don't really know the dimensions, sorry the grass has started dying out in the most heavily trafficked area so we have started watering it daily instead of weekly, hopefully it can replenish because it isn't getting a rest til the meatbird flock is processed in 2 months.
the coop and run aren't quite as big, but they free range from 6am til 9pm so it works. I think our coop is 6x8 and 8ft tall, with a medium and high roost inside. and a new low roost too. the run is 8x16? and 8ft tall. enclosed with fencing underground and above. we have never had any predator losses, knock on wood! the chicks cannot escape the run, but they can fit out of the fencing used around the free-range area. they are just starting to get too wide but they still manage to squeeze through. soon they will be too big, I hope!

I have 6 hens (3 were broody and 3 layers), 7 pullets around 5-6mos, 2 cockerels, and the 8 chicks. oh and I just added four 2month old pullets from the meatbird side of the fence.. they are mutt mixes, and all blue-colored! I am in love with blues... they are a blue cochin, a blue maranxwyandotte, and a blue olive egger!!
15 chickens, 8 chicks, and 4 adolescents = 27 chickens! and still we only get 1-3 eggs a day

That is a lovely free range area! I lease 4 acres here and the chickens have a 40 x 40 foot outdoor pen. No problems with grass growing, this is the South, but lots of problems with racoons, coyotes, hawks, possums, etc...which is why they have a smaller run with netting on top.

And yes your links are awesome! Very factual information which sadly isn't all that common on chicken forums.

Why do you think you get so few eggs? I only have one laying hen (a 1-2 year old Buff Orpington hen that broke her leg and was given to me by the breeder) and she lays 5 eggs a week (most all of which are now going to the broodies and chicks).

Pick of layer below:

 

[Farmer Viola]

That is a lovely free range area! I lease 4 acres here and the chickens have a 40 x 40 foot outdoor pen. No problems with grass growing, this is the South, but lots of problems with racoons, coyotes, hawks, possums, etc...which is why they have a smaller run with netting on top.

And yes your links are awesome! Very factual information which sadly isn't all that common on chicken forums.

Why do you think you get so few eggs? I only have one laying hen (a 1-2 year old Buff Orpington hen that broke her leg and was given to me by the breeder) and she lays 5 eggs a week (most all of which are now going to the broodies and chicks).

Pick of layer below:

I have always LOVED buff orpingtons! she is so pretty, I love large fluffy butts that sag down they look like they're in a dress

5 eggs a week is very impressive! I think my wyandotte lays close to that, Wendy. she will do 3 days on, 1 day off type thing. the 2 welsummers are about the same, 3 on 1 off. the marans lay slightly less, but their eggs are so dark and so beautiful it is worth it. we only had 1 marans hen laying. she is more like every-other day layer.. not that great.

there are only 6 hens that are laying age, and 3 have been broody, but BJ just went back to laying so actually our eggs should increase now. the 7 pullets are starting to get red in the face, especially the Faverolles pullet Saraflav. She is 6 months old now.. I just took this photo of her for the BYC photo calendar:

she has been in the nest box the past couple days so I am hoping soon???

once everyone gets into laying we're talking 15 eggs a day, or so, which sounds totally unfathomable to me right now in the egg drought. should be a nice winter for eggs

 

[16 paws]

Congratulations everyone on the chicks. Love, love, love all the pictures. Farmer Viola that is a great shot of your Saraflav. Very clear and beautiful. You must have a great camera.
That is wonderful that your chickens have such a big area to free range all day. Do you have predators? I forgot what state your in, was it Oregon?

Well in my news here today it is day 20 for Layla and her hatch. Anxious to see what happens with the fertile eggs I bought for her. We did have an incidence of a broken egg and her letting the rest cool off for an undetermined amount of time. I havent candled any of them so it will be a surprise.
Have 2 more broodys sitting on banty eggs but not due for a while.

So many chicks hatching here on this thread I am having a hard time keeping up. LOL

We havent heard from MistyMountain for a while, Misty, if your out there please check in!

Well, I have been at work all day so off to check on the broodys!

Have a great afternoon everyone.
Marie

 

[16 paws]

I hope someone is on line to help me.
I just went to check on Layla and one of her chicks has hatched. It has ants all over it and she is sitting off to the side of the baby and the rest of the eggs!
What should I do???
HELP!!!!
PS the baby is alive, I saw it move

 

[Farmer Viola]

I hope someone is on line to help me.
I just went to check on Layla and one of her chicks has hatched. It has ants all over it and she is sitting off to the side of the baby and the rest of the eggs!
What should I do???
HELP!!!!

if it has ants on it, it is probably because it is dead already... I am so sorry!

I would make her a new nest asap, if you have another container or box you can safely put her in. prepare the next, move the eggs then move her. separate the box from the ants location. that will give you room to inspect the chick with ants to see what happened - is the yolk absorbed and navel formed?

 

[16 paws]

if it has ants on it, it is probably because it is dead already... I am so sorry!

I would make her a new nest asap, if you have another container or box you can safely put her in. prepare the next, move the eggs then move her. separate the box from the ants location. that will give you room to inspect the chick with ants to see what happened - is the yolk absorbed and navel formed?

No, it is alive, I saw it moving

 

[16 paws]

Is it ok to pick up the chick? how do I clean the ants off it?