July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[jolenesdad]

how sweet - mummy's little girl! Has mum even tried to drive her away to independence?

Wow! That’s quite the picture! I loved how gentle Susan the Silkie was with her chicks last year. We picked those chicks as ones that might stay with her and be her flock friends after her showgirl BFF died, and that’s what happened. Susan never did chase the chicks away and they would just hang out next to her while she laid her eggs in the nest box. Even as adults they would flock with her and roost with her. I’m so glad that we got her those chicks and gave her a wonderful year before she passed away from Marek’s.

That’s so sweet!!!!

this mama had 14 babies and was getting harassed by a hawk. I sold all of them as a group at 4.5 weeks old because I thought the hawk would eventually get my mama. She straight up ATTACKS the hawk that’s after her babies she is awesome.

anyway at the last minute I didn’t want to take all her babies so I left one. I feel bad for the chick because the chick was the one that cared the mama didn’t.

mama never kicked her off. Not long after she stopped clucking for her and stopped defending her or pushing away the other hens but she always lets the chick run underneath her and be in her shadow. The way I knew something was up this week was I saw the chick alone in the field. That’s when I realized mama was broody.

I’m sure she sleeps in there with her. I’ll have to block her out to give mama a couple of day old chicks. I wonder what will happen when mama comes out of the box with a couple babies.

 

[Sydney65]

Besides, they have the cutest butts-well, when they're clean..

 

[chickiebaby1]

@SnapdragonQ thank you for the pics! I had 9 hatch altogether and I think I only got maybe 3 girls. What am I going to do with 6 roosters. Here is a pic of the 5 from last night. Tell me what you think

 

[CluckNDoodle]

@SnapdragonQ thank you for the pics! I had 9 hatch altogether and I think I only got maybe 3 girls. What am I going to do with 6 roosters. Here is a pic of the 5 from last night. Tell me what you think
View attachment 2244491

I haven't hatched Bielefelders before but from checking images on Google I would say all of the chicks in the image are male.

When I hatched Crested Cream Legbars from multiple bloodlines I also found that each bloodline was a little different in how the autosexing traits expressed themselves. Not trying to get your hopes up, but share an image of the chicks you feel are female and the comparison will help.

 

[kelseyk]

@SnapdragonQ thank you for the pics! I had 9 hatch altogether and I think I only got maybe 3 girls. What am I going to do with 6 roosters. Here is a pic of the 5 from last night. Tell me what you think
View attachment 2244491

Looks like all boys in the pic to me.

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Broody kicked an egg out!!

I only have 2 hens, so haven’t separated them in hopes that they’ll raise the chicks together. the non broody one (until today) has been laying her eggs in a different nest box. But today must have decided to lay in broody’s nest.

so when my broody pushed the infertile egg out, she also pushed out another light coloured egg (most of them are dark welsummer eggs).

it was cold to the touch when I went out to check, but candled and I think I saw some slight movement. It looks to be developed as far as it should be for today (day 16) and veins and everything still in tact.

I’ve put it in the incubator, because i didn’t want to disturb mom again, and also want to keep an eye on it. How long should I wait before checking it again?

so annoyed with my non-broody. Why couldn’t she just mind her own business? Lol

 

[SnapdragonQ]

@SnapdragonQ thank you for the pics! I had 9 hatch altogether and I think I only got maybe 3 girls. What am I going to do with 6 roosters. Here is a pic of the 5 from last night. Tell me what you think
View attachment 2244491

I agree with the others, you have a nice healthy looking group of boys.

Not sure if you have any meat goals or are in a position to do birds, but as you know this breed is touted for it's size and meatyness so if they were mine (and this is what I had planned if I got too many boys) I wouldn't feed them too high a protein and wait to see which one emerged as the most pleasant temperament, best markings, most vigor...whatever your future goals might be. Then I'd keep the top 2 and process the remaining three or sell them.

Here I'm planning to keep the two boys that I have because in addition to the females I also plan to keep my Red Ranger chicks (2 girls and 3 boys) for as long as I can to start a meatier cross breeding experiment. Having different birds to choose from should hopefully help with diversity and health.
Already the red ranger males are starting to tussle though (only 5 weeks old ) so we shall see how long they last without driving me nuts.

 

[FortCluck]

Broody kicked an egg out!!

I only have 2 hens, so haven’t separated them in hopes that they’ll raise the chicks together. the non broody one (until today) has been laying her eggs in a different nest box. But today must have decided to lay in broody’s nest.

so when my broody pushed the infertile egg out, she also pushed out another light coloured egg (most of them are dark welsummer eggs).

it was cold to the touch when I went out to check, but candled and I think I saw some slight movement. It looks to be developed as far as it should be for today (day 16) and veins and everything still in tact.

I’ve put it in the incubator, because i didn’t want to disturb mom again, and also want to keep an eye on it. How long should I wait before checking it again?

so annoyed with my non-broody. Why couldn’t she just mind her own business? Lol

Sometimes they push them out when they know they’re bad like an early quitter, infertile, or whatever reason. Usually I let my broody decide what she wants to keep.

I would check instantly to see before even putting it in the incubator. There’s probably a reason she kicked it out and I’m sure it was no mistake.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

That’s so sweet!!!!

this mama had 14 babies and was getting harassed by a hawk. I sold all of them as a group at 4.5 weeks old because I thought the hawk would eventually get my mama. She straight up ATTACKS the hawk that’s after her babies she is awesome.

anyway at the last minute I didn’t want to take all her babies so I left one. I feel bad for the chick because the chick was the one that cared the mama didn’t.

mama never kicked her off. Not long after she stopped clucking for her and stopped defending her or pushing away the other hens but she always lets the chick run underneath her and be in her shadow. The way I knew something was up this week was I saw the chick alone in the field. That’s when I realized mama was broody.

I’m sure she sleeps in there with her. I’ll have to block her out to give mama a couple of day old chicks. I wonder what will happen when mama comes out of the box with a couple babies.

If it were mine I'd let nature take it's course on the relationship.
How does momma bear mom react to having other chickens near her babies? Even ones that are just minding their own business but happen to be near?

Broody kicked an egg out!!

I only have 2 hens, so haven’t separated them in hopes that they’ll raise the chicks together. the non broody one (until today) has been laying her eggs in a different nest box. But today must have decided to lay in broody’s nest.

so when my broody pushed the infertile egg out, she also pushed out another light coloured egg (most of them are dark welsummer eggs).

it was cold to the touch when I went out to check, but candled and I think I saw some slight movement. It looks to be developed as far as it should be for today (day 16) and veins and everything still in tact.

I’ve put it in the incubator, because i didn’t want to disturb mom again, and also want to keep an eye on it. How long should I wait before checking it again?

so annoyed with my non-broody. Why couldn’t she just mind her own business? Lol

I'd let the egg thoroughly warm up in the incubator and treat it as if it's still viable. Candle again tomorrow and see what you have.

Over the years I've seen a lot of things happen to perfectly good viable eggs that were just broody accidents. One year a first timer duck freaked out when the egg under her started moving, peeping, and pipping and she kicked it across the barn on a night when it was 45 degrees out. The eggs was very cold when I found it!
I took it in, warmed it up, helped it through hatching (because it was already started) and got a perfectly healthy duckling that grew up to raise her own babies just fine.

 

[chickiebaby1]

Thanks guys! That’s what I was thinking. I think I might have 2 girls out of 9 ! I will let them all grow out and see which ones I like the best. Then I have a place I can sell any extras. @SnapdragonQ who was the seller you used from eBay. I might order from them and try again For more girls and different blood line.