Laree's "I CAN'T STOP MYSELF FROM HATCHING!!!" Hatch-a-long

[Justuschicks]

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I am a worrier with hatching eggs. If there are still some left, I candle where the air cell is just to see if there is movement around that area. I just pick the egg up trying not to shift it in any way.

 

[tls_ranch]

OK, Momma hen did awesome! 17 eggs= 17chicks (one died after being stepped on)

All 16 chicks. Two are still wet from hatching.

They were super crammed in the nest box and a few already fell out of the box and couldn't get back in. So, I took the nest box out to give them more room and now they are just in the chick brooder on shavings.

 

[kvmommy]

congrats to you and your mama! You guys did awesome...if only I could do so well in a bator.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I think all my hens have had 100% hatches, at least 100% of the eggs that started developing. My game hatched 9 of 9, bantam cochin hatched 7 of 7, bantam OE hatched 8 of 9 but #9 had no development.

 

[kvmommy]

wow...when my hens get old enough to lay eggs and get broody, i'm soooo gonna hatch under them. I didn't know they did such an amazing job.

 

[shelleyd2008]

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Well they should, it is natural for them after all.

 

[tls_ranch]

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I've heard a broody hen is better than a bator and she did all the work I'm glad it worked out so well, I was so worried that I gave her too many eggs, but they all hatched out in less than 24 hours and look great. As long as she keeps herself from stepping on more, we'll be ok. I almost pulled all the eggs and put them in the bator last night after the first one got crushed because she was acting nervous. But, she ended up doing a good job probably better than my bator. The poor momma pretty much has to stay in a crouch half standing up in order to keep all the chicks safely under her. I'm really looking foward to not having to run a heat lamp for four+weeks!

Trisha

 

[kvmommy]

I know but I still thought there'd be at least several that didn't make it for some reasons. I'm still amazed.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Broodies are so much easier (they do all the adding water and egg turning for you!) but they're also a pain in the rear! I've found I need to lock mine in or else they'll get up and get back on the wrong nest (but yet, they still have a good hatch rate). So then every day I have to force them off the nest and make sure they get back in the right one. It's easy with 1, but I had FOUR and they'd get all puffed up and irritated with each other and fight and switch nests (eggs are eggs to them and they'll generally take the nest that has the most eggs first... bringing new meaning to "Heather Has Two Mommies").
I've also had some issues after hatching, mainly losing chicks from being not well protected and attacked by the rest of the flock. Now they're all in cages, which gets really small really fast. Plus the moms knock all the food and water over EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. And bury it. And poop on the plastic containers.

They're still darned cute though and I'll continue to let them hatch.

Oh and I almost lost Ambrose Burnsides today (my turken chick with the gigantic sideburns).

Came home and the nest he was in was empty, just Mommy (his other 2 hatchmates didn't make it). So I threw mommy out of the nest and tried to find his little cute body. Nothing. Then Mom goes back in the nest and he runs out from under the buff orphington who isn't due until the 27th but is in the cage next to his. So now the BO is really confused!

Besides these 3 cages (the farthest cage still has a BO on 3 eggs) I've also got a barred rock in the house in the regular brooder with 3 chicks (two of which are turkens!!).

And 24 eggs in the bator due in 8 days.

Then I'm done hatching til Mahonri's NYD Hatch... I think. I hope.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I only have 1 playing musical nests and that's because both (all 3 rather) of the nests she has chosen are already occupied. I guess she just climbs in with whichever hen doesn't peck the hardest that day

I had 1 that got on the wrong nest a time or two when she first started but she acted like she knew she was on the wrong nest. She would go in the wrong nest because someone else was donating in her nest. When that hen would get out, the 'mama' hen would come of the nest she was on and get back where she was supposed to be. I guess she just didn't want to feel useless for the time it took the other hen to lay. Of course now she has gotten brave and just doesn't let the others in.