Hi, I am new to this forum and new to natural hatching by my hens.

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome such a eggciting time bay chicks are a joy anytime seems you have been bit by the chicken math already

 

[Kiki]

Welcome aboard!
We are glad you joined our flock.
This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Get settled in and share some pics of your flock!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi all, I now have 2 baby chicks and 2 eggs left to go. Momma is teaching them how to eat and drink and then they copy her, even drinking from the cup. They sip and then hold their necks up to swallow down the water, just like the big girls, it is so sweet!

There is just nothing better than watching a good mother hen wth her chicks. If the cups are auto filling and require moving a lever to dispense water out may be a idea to add an alternative water source until the chicks are big enough to move it on their own vs having to hope they piggyback mom dispensing water or find enough water left by another flock member in the cup. My littles weren't able to maneuver the lever on their own at first

 

[The Chicken mama]

They have their own ice water inside their large nest box and I refill it as necessary. Mom now gets up as soon as she sees me and takes a dust bath, relieves herself screams and starts a riot and leaves grandma to watch the little peepers who stop screaming when I am there talking to them. When momma returns they all bury themselves in her feathers with their fluffy butts sticking out like ostriches! This is so much fun minus the heat of course, but and indirect fan does wonders. It's funny the mothers rather suffer in patience than risk getting a slight breeze on their chicks or eggs. They dont realize as long as they stay seated the breeze wont affect their babies, safely tucked down inside the alfalfa and under mom. I know that once I let her out along with the chicks she will forget about the other two eggs that still have yet to pip. But the chicks are getting restless and want piggy, I mean Penny back rides or maybe this is another lesson in..... rooster 101!!

 

[Kiki]

They have their own ice water inside their large nest box and I refill it as necessary. Mom now gets up as soon as she sees me and takes a dust bath, relieves herself screams and starts a riot and leaves grandma to watch the little peepers who stop screaming when I am there talking to them. When momma returns they all bury themselves in her feathers with their fluffy butts sticking out like ostriches! This is so much fun minus the heat of course, but and indirect fan does wonders. It's funny the mothers rather suffer in patience than risk getting a slight breeze on their chicks or eggs. They dont realize as long as they stay seated the breeze wont affect their babies, safely tucked down inside the alfalfa and under mom. I know that once I let her out along with the chicks she will forget about the other two eggs that still have yet to pip. But the chicks are getting restless and want piggy, I mean Penny back rides or maybe this is another lesson in..... rooster 101!!

PICs....of the new fluffy butts sticking out!!

 

[The Chicken mama]

Good evening, I haven't figured out yet how to add pics from my phone. Ive got some cute ones and cant hardly wait to post. Its 100 degrees here and I have brought my broodies (3) inside, away from the heat. The other babies met 1 of our 3 roosters. He looked at them but basically ignored them when he saw their food. Then he tries to peck their toes because they look like worms and the mama said nothing! I hand fed mama some scratch and she kept dropping it for the chicks. Is this ok? They do have a sand/gravel floors that they love to pic and eat? I have always heard to feed them only chick mash for several weeks but does mama know best?

Can the high heat cook the chicks in their shell? 1 Week away from another hatch and mama hen#2 keeps leaving the nest because of the heat . When she gets back in she squashed some of the egg shell on 1 egg, right at the air pocket line but the membrane is still in tack. Do you think the chick will survive?

Your info is so appreciated. Thanks