Hatching with 2 broodies

[ItalyChickie]

Here are the 3 week old Blue laced red Wyandotte chicks that are sleeping without their mama now:



another pic of feathering. wow that waterer is dirty

They do seem quite a bit more feathered than my 3-week olds - here are a couple of pics, a bit blurry, but you can see lots of fuzz still except for the wings (edited to add: they are exactly 3 weeks old today, but the pics are from a couple of days ago, so 2.5 weeks):






And keep in mind these ones are feathering out MUCH quicker than my Cochins and Orps did, so my guess is yours really are very fast, and probably aren't cold sleeping in a pile together. Obviously not an expert opinion, but I thought the feathering difference is quite obvious...

 

[Farmer Viola]

They do seem quite a bit more feathered than my 3-week olds - here are a couple of pics, a bit blurry, but you can see lots of fuzz still except for the wings (edited to add: they are exactly 3 weeks old today, but the pics are from a couple of days ago, so 2.5 weeks):






And keep in mind these ones are feathering out MUCH quicker than my Cochins and Orps did, so my guess is yours really are very fast, and probably aren't cold sleeping in a pile together. Obviously not an expert opinion, but I thought the feathering difference is quite obvious...

OMG Sorry for the misunderstanding about Pallina, that makes more sense when you explained it again you are right, I think these BLRW chicks are much more feathered at 3 weeks than yours around 2.5! I think wendy's under 2 week olds look similar to yours on feathering, except the youngest 1 week old.

today is the first day since the chicks hatched that we've had a rainy, sorta cool day. it's only 60F out there and I think Bertha is starting to separate from the chicks too! They have been breaking off to their own group (the 8 of them) and exploring without her. she has stopped doing the broody cluck to them and is squatting down to me, I havent seen anyone mate her though. I do want eggs, but I also wanted her to raise them completely before weaning, it seems too early to me
I helped the 8 chicks onto the new low roost last night after dark, and they actually stayed on it!

Wendy is still sitting tight on her chicks in her cat carrier.
I also have a Brinsea ecoglow brooder which I could put in the coop over the chicks at night or during the day when it's raining like today.. overkill?

 

[Sonya9]

I also have a Brinsea ecoglow brooder which I could put in the coop over the chicks at night or during the day when it's raining like today.. overkill?

Well since you have the ecoglow why not use it?

I was just out in the muddy covered run (finally saw some sun though, except the covered run part is still very moist.

I mentioned the broodies are not taking the chicks out of the coop yet and when i was out in the run I realized that is probably a VERY good idea! With so many days of heavy rain the soil is likely full of coccidia! That stuff loves warm/wet weather. Probably best if the chicks don't get exposed to that right away.

In your case Farmer Voila if it is cooler and wet, maybe the extra heat would be good just to help their little immune systems along.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Well since you have the ecoglow why not use it?

I was just out in the muddy covered run (finally saw some sun though, except the covered run part is still very moist.

I mentioned the broodies are not taking the chicks out of the coop yet and when i was out in the run I realized that is probably a VERY good idea! With so many days of heavy rain the soil is likely full of coccidia! That stuff loves warm/wet weather. Probably best if the chicks don't get exposed to that right away.

In your case Farmer Voila if it is cooler and wet, maybe the extra heat would be good just to help their little immune systems along.

well, it will go under the roost under the big chickens and get covered in poop.. I guess that is my only hesitation. the legs on the ecoglow are also plastic and not built to hold weight of big chickens, I have a wooden frame my husband built for the ecoglow but it makes it a bit taller than the plastic legs which are the height for chicks. this is our first day of rain in about 3 weeks of sunshine, I think I will go spend some time with them and see if they look and act cold. at least the ecoglow on the taller wooden legs would be better than nothing, I think.

someone asked (was it you? 16 paws?) if we have predators here, and we do...
we are out in the country a ways. our neighbors lose chickens to coyotes but we never have. we get deer in our yard, and we can hear coyotes but they don't come round here. we also have huge black vulture birds, they scare the crap out of me when I see them but they actually eat dead animals, deer etc, not live ones. we very rarely see hawks, they are smaller than the black vultures, and we also see bald eagles very seldomly. we have a lot of tree cover - on google maps it looks like our backyard is solid trees but it really doesn't feel that way when you're out there. we have an orchard of apple pear and cherry trees that the meat birds actually have most of right now, but it gives them good coverage and they are littler. the rooster in the big flock does a good job of warning and I have various covers set up throughout their area so they can get under something if needed.

our neighbors raise cattle, some raise poultry, and everyone has a barn cat so I have seen cats stalking the outer perimeter but no attacks. the roosters scare them off. bunnies too, lol. not sure a bunny is a threat but they get intimidated none the less. squirrels are the real bane of my existence. they burrow holes in the ground close enough that they can steal food. I dont have wild birds eating their feed, but the squirrels do. argh.

we once saw a possum under the apple tree, but it was winter and the apples were literally the only thing left to eat. i have never seen one around the coop! *knock on wood* we have a lot of predators around but have been very fortunate thus far. I hear an egg song, gtg!

 

[MistyMountain]

All I got now… not able to catch up, so will jump back in after while. Hope everyone is well!

 

[KendyF]

Well the chick. Who pipped outside. Hatched just fine in the incubator.

 

[Sonya9]

well, it will go under the roost under the big chickens and get covered in poop..

The Chicken Chick suggests covering the top with rubberized shelf paper to protect against poop.

The best thing I did with my coop was add a poop shelf with PDZ though, when I go in to collect eggs or check the chicks it takes me less than 30 seconds to scoop the pdz with a cat litter shovel and dump all the poop from the night before in a can, plus it adds nice clean floor space under the perches. I am lazy and that poop shelf makes it soooo darn easy to keep the coop smelling clean!

Another benefit is that pdz lasts a long long time, even after a month hardly any is missing. A 20 lb bag will probably last me close to a year.

 

[16 paws]

Good job! That was incredibly tough for you and for that little baby.. I am so amazed that it is still alive!!! what a fighter

I can't believe they were on that poor chick, and inside the hatching egg. it gives me the heebie jeebies!!!! you made the right decision putting them under the other broody. you might try moving Layla again after dark? depending on how she acts the rest of today...

is Penny's nest anywhere near Layla's? are there any more ants around there?

in my coop I use neem oil to protect the wood against mites, it also wards off ants too. it is all natural and harmless to animals, you can dilute it with veg oil and rub it on, or I also use a sprayer.

Where can I buy the neem oil? They are back today

 

[16 paws]

Good job! That was incredibly tough for you and for that little baby.. I am so amazed that it is still alive!!! what a fighter

I can't believe they were on that poor chick, and inside the hatching egg. it gives me the heebie jeebies!!!! you made the right decision putting them under the other broody. you might try moving Layla again after dark? depending on how she acts the rest of today...

is Penny's nest anywhere near Layla's? are there any more ants around there?

in my coop I use neem oil to protect the wood against mites, it also wards off ants too. it is all natural and harmless to animals, you can dilute it with veg oil and rub it on, or I also use a sprayer.

Rest in Peace auntie Emm. I just found her smushed under Layla. Two more died and one is alive. This is hard....

 

[Teila]

Rest in Peace auntie Emm. I just found her smushed under Layla. Two more died and one is alive. This is hard....

Aaaaw sweety, I am so very sorry to read that; do not let those nasty ants get you down; fight for your bubbies