(the short version)...
Event 1, stopped at the grain store on my way home from work to see 3 poor dying silkie chicks in the "commercial" brooder stack (and couldn't just leave them there). So home they came with 2 other lone chicks (a white rock & buttercup) ... by the next day the 3 silkies had passed so I did the only thing I could do ... brought home 8 other silkie chicks from the tack store in good health (and still are)
Event 2, in an attempt to appease Muhma (aka "broody forever") I purchased a dozen+ eggs of d'uccles and mille fleur bantam cochins and 22 days later she hatched 9 little fluffy butts ! ... and has taken wonderful care of them! my submissive, picked on little girl has become "big momma" that not even my bossy old EE lady dare to cross when she's taking her babes for a walk
...
... in the mean time: I rearranged the dividers in the coop to accommodate all these chick-lettes and added another layer of nesting boxes which allowed for a small gap between the boxes and the floor (where I choose to store a few extra flakes of hay for the nesting boxes). Apparently this cozy little corner was exactly what my other cochin X was looking for, for her perfect nest and went broody
the good news there is that I offered her the remaining eggs from the dozen+ (she was actually on chick no.9 when she pipped, but she was only a day behind the others so I put the egg under Muhma and she hatched with her sisters) (and yes i realize I am referring to the chicks as girls ... trying to be optimistic
).
Event 3, I was feeling guilty for removing the pipping chick from the other girl so I went out and got her some eggs of her own ... can we say glutton for punishment ... all together now "glutton for punishment"
... she's resting peacefully on her own dozen eggs now .... scheduled hatch date: Memorial Day !
... in the mean time: i had been scanning our crazy 24 hour auction, the auction for eggs, eggbid and ebay ... when I get an email about an auction I was "watching" and "not to miss it" ... so there I was 11:00pm with 9hours left looking at these cute lavender cochins with a reserve of $5 and thought, what's the harm someone will out bid me anyway ... well the next afternoon in my email was the "you've won the auction" email ... I was now the proud owner of another dozen eggs but fresh out of ladies to sit on them ...
Event 4, I have at least 4-5 days to purchase or to make an incubator (so began the obsessive browsing of all the wonderful homemade incubators
- GREAT JOB btw everyone) ... after a few hours of intense thought I decided to take a break and went outside to visit with my ladies and check for eggs ... when I went in the coop one of my blue ladies was in the nesting box (not unusual of itself) ... but when i went to pick the eggs up from the nesting box below her out came some peeeeved off growl! (yes, a growl!) ... I grabbed the eggs and left her alone ... And tonight when I went to tuck everyone in, she was still VERY content in the same nest giving me "the evil eye" ... Could it be, Could it really be another broody!
to save me from my impulsive bid? ... It must be fate!
I've decided to go ahead and put together a home made incubator (just in case). . . you can never be to safe (and all of these ladies are 1st time mom's!) ... and this weekend I'll be adding more "condo's" for the expecting mothers (and getting brooders sanitized and ready for just in case) ...
And that's my Chix Story !
... stayed tuned for the peepsquel
Event 1, stopped at the grain store on my way home from work to see 3 poor dying silkie chicks in the "commercial" brooder stack (and couldn't just leave them there). So home they came with 2 other lone chicks (a white rock & buttercup) ... by the next day the 3 silkies had passed so I did the only thing I could do ... brought home 8 other silkie chicks from the tack store in good health (and still are)
Event 2, in an attempt to appease Muhma (aka "broody forever") I purchased a dozen+ eggs of d'uccles and mille fleur bantam cochins and 22 days later she hatched 9 little fluffy butts ! ... and has taken wonderful care of them! my submissive, picked on little girl has become "big momma" that not even my bossy old EE lady dare to cross when she's taking her babes for a walk
... in the mean time: I rearranged the dividers in the coop to accommodate all these chick-lettes and added another layer of nesting boxes which allowed for a small gap between the boxes and the floor (where I choose to store a few extra flakes of hay for the nesting boxes). Apparently this cozy little corner was exactly what my other cochin X was looking for, for her perfect nest and went broody
Event 3, I was feeling guilty for removing the pipping chick from the other girl so I went out and got her some eggs of her own ... can we say glutton for punishment ... all together now "glutton for punishment"
... in the mean time: i had been scanning our crazy 24 hour auction, the auction for eggs, eggbid and ebay ... when I get an email about an auction I was "watching" and "not to miss it" ... so there I was 11:00pm with 9hours left looking at these cute lavender cochins with a reserve of $5 and thought, what's the harm someone will out bid me anyway ... well the next afternoon in my email was the "you've won the auction" email ... I was now the proud owner of another dozen eggs but fresh out of ladies to sit on them ...
Event 4, I have at least 4-5 days to purchase or to make an incubator (so began the obsessive browsing of all the wonderful homemade incubators
I've decided to go ahead and put together a home made incubator (just in case). . . you can never be to safe (and all of these ladies are 1st time mom's!) ... and this weekend I'll be adding more "condo's" for the expecting mothers (and getting brooders sanitized and ready for just in case) ...
And that's my Chix Story !
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