INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[chick rookie]

This is Maggie, one of my australorps.


Two weeks ago today, on Valentine's Day, I realized she was spending an awful lot of time sitting in this rabbit nest box up in the barn loft. So, thinking perhaps she was going broody, I carried her in her box downstairs and put her in one of our growout pens. I put 9 eggs under her to see what would happen. Sure enough, she has been sitting on them the entire time. She'll come out to grab a bite to eat & drink & then snuggle back in. Now I'm wondering with the temperatures so cold yet, should I let her stay in the barn to hatch out the chicks, or bring her inside a few days before? Or bring her and the chicks in after they hatch? Or will she be able to keep them warm enough? We do have a brooder light for the pen that we could use if necessary... If we do get chicks, they'll be an interesting crossbreed mix as I just used the cleanest eggs I had collected. There's at least 1 EE in there, maybe a 2nd, although I'm still not sure what color my other girl lays -- too similar to the rest of the eggs. I think maybe there was 1 or 2 ISA or cinnamon queen eggs, and the rest were either gold/silver laced wyandotte, buff/lemon orpington, barred rock, australorp or an orpington/speckled sussex mix. My 2 roos are a lavender orpington and a lemon/lavender orpington mix. Who knows what these birds will look like! This is my first broody hatch so I'm hoping all goes well -- one more week!!

If it was me I would bring her in maybe a couple days before. But that is just me.

 

[EmSteele]

I have an EE hen that sits in the nesting boxes for long periods of time but still no eggs.  Not broody as she jumps and flies away instead of growling when I get near.

I believe they will show more interest like this to the nesting boxes when they get closer to laying!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I have 2 pasty butts that I cant get over it!! What do I do? 4 day olds.

first step is to wash the rears in lukewarm no soap water. Chicks can't swim so it is not really a bath but more of a dabbing with a wet towel or soft brush. Once Clean, the chicks need to be dried / fluffy again before being put back in the brooder.
Some things that can increase the odds of pasty rear:
too hot, too cold, stress, lack of food, lack of water, chick choosing to get dehydrated for some reason or another, genetics, vitamin deficiency,
I would start by observing the chicks in the brooder to see if they are staying under the light and not drinking enough or if they are hiding in the far corners to stay cool and not drinking enough. Next I look for a bully that might be keeping the chicks stressed. I add the Meyer vitamin powder to the water so I don't check that but sometimes I'll add in some sugar too. And typically I'll add an extra water and feed station in hopes that either the second location will be better or that a bully chick can only block one of the water areas.

Quote: Most times this is true. But I have had two pullets go broody before laying, weeks before their brooder mate started laying. But I did not want to trust that they were broody and in the end both hens were lost.

 

[iamfivewire]

Tag-Team in the nest box :

one of our EEs & our Delaware

 

[iamfivewire]

. . . . & here is our pretty Silver-Pencil Iowa Blue girl:

 

[ChickCrazed]

. . . . & here is our pretty Silver-Pencil Iowa Blue girl:

She is beautiful!

 

[iamfivewire]

Thanx - hopefully we"ll have some of her chicks in 21 days - have 7 IaB eggs (plus other kinds) in the 'bator

 

[ellymayRans]

Thats strange, wonder if a tray is binding? were they all even when it was turning?
I wouldn't worry about the noise, the temps and humidity is much more important. The problem with hand turning is definitely heat loss.
You will likely have a lower hatch rate from it, and its also affecting humidity each time you open. Good luck!!

my turner does the same ..it's a loud vibrating noise. I unplug it and plug it back in and it stops. .it's in my bedroom sooooo it drives me nuts at night if I don't!

 

[chick rookie]

first step is to wash the rears in lukewarm no soap water. Chicks can't swim so it is not really a bath but more of a dabbing with a wet towel or soft brush. Once Clean, the chicks need to be dried / fluffy again before being put back in the brooder.
Some things that can increase the odds of pasty rear:
too hot, too cold, stress, lack of food, lack of water, chick choosing to get dehydrated for some reason or another, genetics, vitamin deficiency,
I would start by observing the chicks in the brooder to see if they are staying under the light and not drinking enough or if they are hiding in the far corners to stay cool and not drinking enough. Next I look for a bully that might be keeping the chicks stressed. I add the Meyer vitamin powder to the water so I don't check that but sometimes I'll add in some sugar too. And typically I'll add an extra water and feed station in hopes that either the second location will be better or that a bully chick can only block one of the water areas.

Most times this is true. But I have had two pullets go broody before laying, weeks before their brooder mate started laying. But I did not want to trust that they were broody and in the end both hens were lost.

I have vita chick in the water, the farthest corner away from the light stays 70 deg. they don't lay under the light at all, it runs 110. I know its too hot but if I put the light outside the brooder it is too cold. but they do have room to get away from it. the only time they huddle together is if I am doing something in the brooder. I moved the water up closer and out of the 70 deg. corner.it is in a 80 deg. area now as is the feeder, and grit. I have 10 chicks in this brooder. I am always in there looking and talking to them and I have not seen any bullying.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Chicken Shaming...Hilarious!! I have this one beat by about two months. Some of mine haven't laid since September!