help

[penchick]

Hi, I'm a newby and from England and hopefully you can advise me about an unfortunate mistake I made at the weekend. I have two girls sitting on 16 eggs between them. With 2days to their hatching date, I lifted the girls to allow them to stretch their legs, eat etc. Stupid of me, I know, I forgot to open the door to their coop and it was 24hrs before I realised my mistake. The hens have continued to brood, will the eggs still hatch??

 

[N F C]

Just wanted to say hello and glad to have you here. I've never hatched eggs but I'm sure another greeter or two will come along with some experience in hatching.

Good luck!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Birdrain92]

Hi, I'm a newby and from England and hopefully you can advise me about an unfortunate mistake I made at the weekend. I have two girls sitting on 16 eggs between them. With 2days to their hatching date, I lifted the girls to allow them to stretch their legs, eat etc. Stupid of me, I know, I forgot to open the door to their coop and it was 24hrs before I realised my mistake. The hens have continued to brood, will the eggs still hatch??

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined the flock! There's a chance of them still hatching but don't expect most of them to hatch. Sometimes miracles happen.

 

[penchick]

Thanks for the warm welcome

I'm keeping my fingers x'd. I checked this morning, although a day early, 1 chick had managed to hatch out half way and sadly not made it

. It appeared to be a rather large chick and fully formed. I'm trying to stay hopeful as I too believe in miracles, will keep you informed, please send positive vibes as I hate to think my stupid mistake has cost lives. Many Thanks.

 

[Birdrain92]

Thanks for the warm welcome

I'm keeping my fingers x'd. I checked this morning, although a day early, 1 chick had managed to hatch out half way and sadly not made it

. It appeared to be a rather large chick and fully formed. I'm trying to stay hopeful as I too believe in miracles, will keep you informed, please send positive vibes as I hate to think my stupid mistake has cost lives. Many Thanks.

Sending hatching vibes

. We want to see picture too.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome

Sorry to hear you have had a potential disaster at this late stage but keeping my fingers crossed for you too, that all is not lost. It may be that the hatch is delayed as a result so don't give up on them too soon.

Where in England are you? Surprised you have two broodies this early in the season! What breed are they? I usually have to wait until May/June for my first one to get the hatching itch and then of course all the others jump on the band wagon.

Good luck

Barbara

 

[penchick]

Hello Barbara, thanks for your positive comments,which I've taken on-board and will keep you posted. I'm on the east coast, on which I describe as the knee of England, any further east and I'd be in the north sea, definitely not recommended at present. We're in the middle of storm 'Imogen' with local winds upto 85mph. Anyway, I have 5 hens at present, 2xroad island red, one I call 'little blackie' which is a cross breed of mine that I successfully reared from incubation, home made brooder and then onto living out with the other girls. She has just started laying this week and has given me 2 eggs with jade coloured shells, of which I'm proud. My two broodies are Mazie-May, born 1st May 2014, another cross of mine, and Ginge both are termed as 'Gold Top' breed. From what I can gather a local description of this type of chicken. Here we have had the mildest winter on record. Three times in November thro December I had to stop mazie brooding and ginge has been only slightly better. This time though I decided to let nature do it's thing, and it's with excitement and trepidations that I'll venture outside tomoz to see if there's any chicks. Please keep an eye out for my update, hopefully I'll have good news. Many Thanks Ann.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Ann

It sounds like a lovely little flock you have. Gold tops are Silkie/light sussex crosses aren't they? I'd read that they were good broodies.... but really impressive that they have been broody all winter. I have a couple of established broodies, one is a bantam silkie cochin cross (Frances) and the other a splash araucana cross (Tasha). They will set twice a year, but they wait for the warm weather, so my pullets are always reaching point of lay in December, by which time I've had a couple of months of reduced/non existent production from the older ladies.
I bred a couple of olive eggers last year that were Legbar x RIR (she lays a surprisingly dark egg) but they got taken by a fox shortly after coming into lay... they were gorgeous eggs and both birds were an absolute joy temperament wise.... real pets... so I was pretty gutted. I tried again with welsummer and maran crosses to the legbar and I have a pullet from one of those matings just starting to lay beautiful olive eggs with speckles, so I do understand the proud mum thing!

I'm much further north than you and we've hardly had any of this storm thank goodness. In fact it's been quite a pleasant day, if a little blustery.

Yes of course I'll keep an eye out for updates... I'm on tender hooks now too!

Waiting in anticipation for a glimmer of good news.

Barbara

 

[penchick]

Sooo sorry to hear of your losses to a fox! Nature is wonderful yet at times NOT SO. Your discription of gold tops makes sense. I rescued a legbar a couple of years ago, she was a total nutter, talk about highly strung!! I've experienced a feral cat, she behaved like a wild bird! She laid green eggs so I think little blackie has some of her genes in the mix, thankfully little blackie is hand tame. Enough about mine, what birds have you? And when you say you are north of UK, how far north?