Hi to all...

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Wow! So many diverse locations! Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

I do plan to check out the garden site, also! My two big interests - gardening and learning to raise chickens.

My broody still doesn't have any hatchlings. I want hubby to help hold the hen up so I can candle the eggs. Not sure what is going on! Sure hope we get at least a few little ones!

Been working on taxes, but am about freed up to get on here and do some interesting reading!!

Thanks, guys!
 
Hi

If your hen is brooding and you want her to hatch the eggs, there is a bit of care I've not seen yet in this thread. Get a plain pencil and put an "x" on each egg. Do NOT use a pen or marker, only a pencil. Then check every day to make sure the hen has turned them. Also, I'm reading everywhere that brooding hens don't need to eat or drink, but I always offered my mama hens a little bit of water with hummingbird food in it. I don't force it on her, just make it available a couple times a day for a short while then pick it up so the nest stays clean.
I love chicks, have fun!
 
I may have a problem...still no chicks. Since I don't know for sure when she started sitting on the eggs (prob several different lay dates since quite a few eggs were added!), I was kind of calculating that we'd have something by today for sure. I read on here somewhere that it's not good to candle the eggs during the last few days, but feel like I really ought to check to see if any of the eggs are viable. Any suggestions??

And thanks for the welcome, liz9910!!
 
OH YEAH!!! Went out to check the chickens this morning, and my broodie had 2 little chicks under her keeping warm! I went to pick up some supplies I'd procrastinated about getting, and will go back to the chicken house shortly and check on more progress. I've got to make them a nesting box down on the ground - they are about 3' up in the air right now. And I've got to put up some wire to separate mom & babies for a while. I'll try to upload some pics as soon as I figure out how to do that!! lol
 
Thanks! I'm really enjoying all the posts and the great info here!!

Was really excited - there was another chick about to hatch when we checked about 4:00. Can't wait to go out in the morning to see how many babies we have!!
Mama has about 14 eggs under her - not sure all of them are viable. Will have to check more tomorrow.

How soon will the chicks start feeding? They were staying pretty close under mom this afternoon. And does anyone have any suggestions about how long we give mom and the many eggs she's still sitting on??

This is all so exciting - and completely unplanned. Wasn't supposed to have a roo at all...and didn't think we'd have any chicks this year. Hope they do ok, since we're pretty close to cold-weather time.
 
Well, sad day. Went out to show chicks to grandkids, and no chicks. Mom was up in box, had scattered eggs all around and they were cold. Wire at opening was bent outward a little - I probably couldn't get my arm inside. But guess the roo was able to reach the chicks. There is absolutely NO sign of them. I thought we had them protected enough.. :-(
 

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