I Built A Bridge!

[16 paws]

Yes, way to go Willie! Cute babies, IC.
Not much to report here. I gave Frida and Grace the big eggs at about 10 pm on Saturday the 2nd (Pacific time), so we're not quite at the 20 day mark for them. I gave them the bantam eggs the next day at about 3 pm. When Grace was off this morning to get treats (and Frida shuffled as I gave her some in the nest), I was able to see 9 of the 10 eggs, and it looked like one of Bettina's egg may have had a pip. It wasn't broken all the way through, but it was the right size and location.
Everyone in the flock seems to be waiting for the big event. Desi has been hanging out close to the nest and the ladies keep peering in. It's very cute. Yesterday, while the others were in the backyard, Grace was sitting up on the roost, just looking like she was giving herself a much-needed brake before the onslaught. She hopped back into the nest pretty quickly. Even Reggie didn't want to stay at the park today. She does that once in awhile - keeps trying to return to the car, like she thinks she's desperately needed at home - but this was the first time I saw her do that at this park which she particularly enjoys.
Rousseau is broody now too, but doing so on her own in the regular nest. It's hard to break her, because I don't want the others to go looking for a new spot and mess with the official broody nest. So, I'm down to 3 layers, and yesterday I had no eggs for the first time since March or so! Three eggs today, though. Days are getting shorter - I wonder when and how hard this year's egg drought will hit.

HI Liz,
Thanks for the up-date. Looks like you are going to have some action there real soon. That is so cute to hear that the others are waiting to see whats going to happen. Isnt it so exciting to see that first pip? I almost think that is my favorite part of the hatch because you know that a chick is trying to make its way into this world! I also love going to bed and waking up and rushing down to the coop to see if there are any tiny new faces looking back at me. And then you have the part of watching the mother teach them to eat their first bites of food...I could go on and on but you guys know what I mean. Its a beautiful thing....
Keep us posted

Pancake is sitting on 8 eggs and they are due to hatch on Tuesday I believe.
So I have Layla with her 1 Brabanter chick
Sophia Loren with her 4 bantam cochin chicks
Dotty with her 2 bantam cochin chicks
Pancake with her 8 eggs
Freckles staying in the nest box everyday and me pulling her out twice a day
OMG too many broodys!
I love broodys but enough is enough

Marie

 

[lizgarf]

Since my last post, I noticed one of Lucy's eggs all the way out of the nest. They may have kicked it out, but I smelled it and it didn't seem especially off, so I put it back in the nest and they're covering it now. My theory about them leaving the marans eggs out is that they remember that Desi came from an egg like that!
I'm trying to decide if/when I should close their nest box off from the rest of the coop. I think I may add an extension to it, but I don't want to confine the broodies too early and stress them out. I'll probably do it before morning, though.
I've seen Grace take a few breaks today and yesterday, with no breaks from Frida. She really is the super broody! Remember how she waited until the precise day Lucy started laying to go back to it?

That really is too many broodies, 16P! Yikes!

 

[16 paws]

16 paws looks like the image attachments are working now

Did I miss a post? How many bubbies did you have hatch? I thought I read one and one pipped but not sure if I read how many altogether? Sorry, I may have forgotten

I took advantage of today's rain to spend some time reading and also reach out to a Frizzle breeder to check the availability of fertile eggs in preparation for my next broody. I figured it was better to suss someone out now and be prepared rather than do the run around when I actually have a broody. This way I can just ring up and say "send those eggs"

It was still raining at chicken bed time, so continuing the 'tough love' plan, I stripped down to the bare essentials and donned the Dry-As-A-Bone and wandered on out to close off the corner and supervise bed time.

The youngest divider dweller, Blondie, was actually sussing out the roost and she may have jumped up there by herself but as it was raining I popped her up so I was not tramping around in the dark, soaking wet. Cilla, while not throwing a temper tantrum and throwing herself at the blocker to the corner was still hanging around in that area so I guided her over to the roost to pop her next to Blondie.

What I saw next blew me away! .. Dusty, has never roosted, she has always slept in the nest box closest to the divider. When I went to put Cilla on the roost, Dusty was roosting right next to Blondie! And, to top it off, rather than sleeping in a nest box, Tina and LuLu were roosting on the Silkie-friendly lower roost!!

These roosts have been available for months and as mentioned, I have been moving them from the old roost to the new roost for months .... still slapping myself on the forehead for not thinking about taking away the preferred option.

This plan looks like it is actually going to work. It was so nice to not have to supervise fights and squabbles and to see everyone roosting on appropriate roosts.

Liz, getting close now! Sending tons of positive hatch thoughts your way

Hi there Teila,
I think I forgot to post that 2 babies hatched. They are doing great with mama Dottie. See last post.

Glad things are working out with the new sleeping arrangements. Awesome.....
Look for pictures soon
Marie

 

[Teila]

Wow 16 paws, it is all happening at your place!

Keep us posted on Pancake and also looking forward to the pictures of everyone's bubbies

I got nothing except a Frizzle which has become a Droople; a, once again, dirty Silkie; oh yeah, and a bruise on my hand where Blondie decided that I was not allowed to move her to an alternative nest box while I cleaned. The little princess is not broody but oh my, is she going to be one Broodzilla when that happens!

 

[tommysgirl]

anxiously waiting to hear news of Frida and Lucy's little!

@16 paws enough is enough is right!....what's does your girl to boy ratio seem to be? Hopefully you got some sweet new pullets out of it all.

@ItalyChickie cute pics...sorry about the marans. Cute babies! I love my australorps they are all around cool birds, Broody, great layers friendly and gorgeous in the sun.

@Teila 3 eggs! Woot. I made my husband's breakfast yesterday of nothing but silkie eggs...it took 5. Gracie Belle's egg is pretty decently sized though. Big old Godiva who is my largest hen lays an egg about the same size as GB's

@MistyMountain Glad you were able to lighten your cockerel load. My millions are becoming a comical nuisance. Today I hope to finish retrofitting their grow out pen so that I can move the lot of them down to it.

I am debating which of the MANY little cockerels to keep. 2 Marans are in the running as are my two Konza Prairie Rangers. It would be nice to have a trio of dark layers, the Konzas are a project so not a breed at this point that will throw predictable looking but the one boys is a fantastic little silver and black specked thing and he is HUGE..his name is Magnus and I am pretty sure he is my new boy...it was a mistake to name him if he isn't. Still If I can keep a couple of the Marans around until they are fertile they would be real assets.

In broody news Julie Taylor is on the nest. Has been for about 5 days. I hope to get eggs next weekend from a guy who has California Greys. Last time I gave her chicks...the all male Marans crew, and she coraised them with GB...letting GB do the vast majority of the mothering. It will be interesting to see if she is more attentive on her own and with eggs she sat on and got to know over three weeks.

In sad news Petunia is missing. She is my funny little Polish/Dorking cross and she hatched the clutch that included Cosmo and Stella for the Easter Hatch a Long. I hatched her in an incubator in 2013. Maybe she has gone broody somewhere and will show back up with some chicks. No sign of feathers and we never heard an attack. The birds have been locked up most of every day b/c I am back at work and no one is home. I hope she turns up. I miss her scolding me for leaving them cooped and the hours long production she makes out of deciding where she will put her next egg.

Petunia Pics:
Pe





On our Porch looking for a nesting spot


As a teenager



I loved her crest!

 

[lizgarf]

@tommysgirl I'm so sorry to hear that Petunia is missing! I hope you're right that she's broody and she'll be home soon. That's a scary feeling.

Thanks for tuning in for news on Frida & Grace's hatch! My first grandchick is here!!


After a second relatively sleepless night where I had two dreams of going out to see the bubbies in various states of disarray (including a pretty distressful one where they were like newborn mice, left out to die, and I had to find a way to warm them up), I went out at about 6:30 am and heard peeping! Then out popped up the little shown above, who I'm assuming is Bettina's, since that was the first and only pip I saw.
Things seem to be in order. Grace and Frida are setting tight on the other eggs, but communicating well with little B. The other hens are curious (probably mostly about the chick starter in the nest), but are leaving them alone. I set up a small extension with some wire, but everyone is sitting tight for now.

Here is a picture from yesterday of Desi nest-guarding:


I'll update more later! yay!

 

[tommysgirl]

@tommysgirl I'm so sorry to hear that Petunia is missing! I hope you're right that she's broody and she'll be home soon. That's a scary feeling.

Thanks for tuning in for news on Frida & Grace's hatch! My first grandchick is here!!


After a second relatively sleepless night where I had two dreams of going out to see the bubbies in various states of disarray (including a pretty distressful one where they were like newborn mice, left out to die, and I had to find a way to warm them up), I went out at about 6:30 am and heard peeping! Then out popped up the little shown above, who I'm assuming is Bettina's, since that was the first and only pip I saw.
Things seem to be in order. Grace and Frida are setting tight on the other eggs, but communicating well with little B. The other hens are curious (probably mostly about the chick starter in the nest), but are leaving them alone. I set up a small extension with some wire, but everyone is sitting tight for now.

Here is a picture from yesterday of Desi nest-guarding:


I'll update more later! yay!

Oh Liz congrats!!! Desi is the best and most handsome nest guardian! Thanks for sharing your concerns about Petunia but guess what...Tom saw this going round the corner,

When I went out to investigate I found this!

Oh Happy Day! She is back!!

No idea where she was but I suspect she is like @Misty Mountain 's tree roosting girl. We covered the big run last weekend and she is accustomed to being able to fly in and out at will and since she is a particularly willful girl I am guessing she decided to find her own digs. I have to remember to watch and try to stalk her. I worry an owl will get her in the night since she would stand out against a dark background so I will have to put an end to her adventure.


Happy hatching Liz! Fingers crossed for nothing but pullets!

ETA horrifying dream you described...naked baby mice make me shudder

 

[lizgarf]

When I went out to investigate I found this!

Oh Happy Day! She is back!!

No idea where she was but I suspect she is like @Misty Mountain 's tree roosting girl. We covered the big run last weekend and she is accustomed to being able to fly in and out at will and since she is a particularly willful girl I am guessing she decided to find her own digs. I have to remember to watch and try to stalk her. I worry an owl will get her in the night since she would stand out against a dark background so I will have to put an end to her adventure.


Happy hatching Liz! Fingers crossed for nothing but pullets!

Yay for Petunia!!
But, to an outsider like me, she looks different than in her other pictures - are you sure that's Petunia? Did she outgrow her crest?

Thanks for hoping for pullets - not sure how that would work out if they all hatch, but we'll see how it goes. So far, just the one little, but Frida and Grace seem to expect more are on their way out.

 

[Teila]

Phew; I am so pleased Petunia is back TG; what a horrible feeling that must be to have one go missing! She is cute and sounds like a real little character.

Wooo hooo Liz …. Congratulations Grandma!

Aaaw, so adorable! I quite like Little-B as a name

Those dreams sound more like nightmares …. Eeew!

Love the picture of Desi on his rock guarding the nest .. he is a good boy!

Fingers crossed here also for lots more bubby girls

 

[lizgarf]

#2 has hatched!! Grace and Frida are still setting tight, so there must be more on the way. Grace is pecking the littles under when I come by, more than I am comfortable with, but it doesn't seem to be hurting them. I wish she would trust me more! I'm not touching this time until the hatching period is over, to try to minimize stress and build trust, yada, yada, but I'm still checking in and taking pictures! Sorry chooks!

A bad smell has also emerged. I'm wondering if one of the eggs has turned (probably one of the marans eggs they keep leaving out). At the moment, they're sitting on all the remaining eggs, so I don't want to explore. Is it possible that a normal hatch would emit a bad smell? It kind of smells like a nasty poop, so maybe that's all it is, but it also smells a little more sinister.