Maine

[hoppy]

ok, I had to post this as it's too funny not to.

 

[kinsey228]

No hatching yet. They were supposed to hatch yesterday. Should I be anxious? =(

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Not at all. Don't start worrying until day 23 or so.

 

[hoppy]

sometimes if I am concerned, i will take the egg and tap on it and then listen to it. you may hear peeping,indicating, chick is still alive. if you hear like a screaming, you need to go in. if you hear nothing, put the egg back and wait another day. (if you go in, be sure to look up online how to safely do this as you can cause them to bleed to death if they were not ready to hatch)

 

[cellochck]

I have a bunch of empty egg cartons if anyone wants them. When we started having chickens a bunch of our friends started giving us the cartons, but we don't have enough chickens to use these any time soon. SOOOO... if you want them they are yours. I'm in Union, but could meet you somewhere potentially.

 

[Coldweatherbirds]

Snowbell is still sitting on her eggs. She eats a little grain, drinks water... but I don't think she's pooped in 3 days or more days... Is this ok? What ifshe's not really broody but eggbound? How would I know, I've never had either. When I stand her up at the water bucket she drinks, then crouches back down and fluffs her feathers out and kind of makes low crooning clucks. I put her back on her eggs after she eats drinks.

I know I'm too anxious, sorry. Reassure me?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Sounds broody to me. She'll poop probably once a day, a really stinky, nasty, horrible, disgusting, humungous poop. She'll eat a few bites of food, drink a bit of water, screetch and fluff her feathers or flap her wings, then jump back on the nest. If I were you I'd let her come back to the nest on her own, and if she goes to the wrong one then correct her. Mine are usually off the nest 15 to 20 minutes a day to do the above. She may also try to scare other chickens away by fluffing up or even stretching out her wings to look bigger and then chase or peck.

If they were eggbound I'd think they'd be more lethargic and less angry.

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

I agree -- she is broody , just let her be

 

[Coldweatherbirds]

My chicken just exploded in my kitchen. 3-5 days worth of **** came spraying out of her. It went 4 feet down the hall. The smell is unimaginable. I work in a hospital.... the smell in here right now has my husband in fetal position with a sweatshirt over his face. How do I get myself into these situations? The smell is a combination of death and rotten chicken ****. It won't go away.

It could be worse... it could be on the carpet in the office where her nest is. I guess she is super broody (or super stupid), because she won't leave her nest voluntarily and after she eats/drinks she hunkers right down where she is like she is still on top of her eggs even when she's not. I have to pick her up and put her back on her eggs. She does turn them, because they are in different places under her when I check. So, tonight I brought her all the way into the kitchen and kept poking her to make her stand up and not fluff down. The 3rd time I poked her and she stood up, well she exploded. Really. Exploded. I brought her in on Wednesday... I don't know when she may have pooped before then.... but not since. I think my husband is going to divorce me. We might have to burn the house.

 

[NewEnglandChick]

I will be raising some blue laced red wyandottes this yr from chicks I buy. I'm willing to split an order if you'd like, these will be better quality birds not hatchery. I also will have other colors of wyandottes too and come spring, some of those bantams will be going. I also have smooth sizzles (they look like a mini polish. I'll see if I can post a picture (learning process)

Hoppy - I would be VERY interested in some of your Wyandottes this year. Yours are my favorite (but don't tell my other girls that!). Any chance you'll be doing silvers, this year?!