MJ's little flock

[BY Bob]

I'm not blaming myself, merely reflecting on the possibilities.

I honestly don't think there's any blame to be laid anywhere. Things go wrong. That's nature.

I can see why people like using incubators.

I would prefer to use Sydney any day over an incubator despite the risk. People who incubate lose them as well. Right @RebeccaBoyd ?

 

[BY Bob]

Little one is under his agapanthus. Dreaming of pink clouds and butterflies.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I would prefer to use Sydney any day over an incubator despite the risk. People who incubate lose them as well. Right @RebeccaBoyd ?

Yes you will loose them using the incubator as well. To be honest the whole incubation process can be stressful, but there is nothing more heartbreaking to me then to have a chick fully develop and then for one reason or another not make it through the hatching process. So many things can go wrong and with some of them there is nothing you can do to prevent it. I've had experienced hens accidently step on the eggs mid hatch and squish the chicks trying to adjust them underneath her. I've also had one try to make that external pip into the yolk sack and that one ended very badly. Then there are the ones that completely develop and pass for one reason or another before they make the internal pip. This is one reason when I set a hen or fill the incubator I add a few extra eggs then I technically want to hatch. I always try to give the broody girls at least 8 eggs hoping between non starters and those that quit at some point in the incubation process I will get at least 4 to 5 chicks. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. The last chicks Holly hatched I set her with the last 9 fertile Drumstick eggs, she had 2 hatch. 2 started to develop and stopped after a week, 1 exploded underneath her at 2 weeks in. She stepped on the first chick that tried to hatch and squished it. 3 more hatched out fine but passed within the first hour. Of the 2 that made it I got my keeper pullet Baby.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I'm sorry you lost the chick in the hatching process. Been down almost 3 days with a sinus head ache and was hoping to come back to see pictures of a happy chick. Hopefully the other one hatches soon for you.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Yes you will loose them using the incubator as well. To be honest the whole incubation process can be stressful, but there is nothing more heartbreaking to me then to have a chick fully develop and then for one reason or another not make it through the hatching process. So many things can go wrong and with some of them there is nothing you can do to prevent it. I've had experienced hens accidently step on the eggs mid hatch and squish the chicks trying to adjust them underneath her. I've also had one try to make that external pip into the yolk sack and that one ended very badly. Then there are the ones that completely develop and pass for one reason or another before they make the internal pip. This is one reason when I set a hen or fill the incubator I add a few extra eggs then I technically want to hatch. I always try to give the broody girls at least 8 eggs hoping between non starters and those that quit at some point in the incubation process I will get at least 4 to 5 chicks. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. The last chicks Holly hatched I set her with the last 9 fertile Drumstick eggs, she had 2 hatch. 2 started to develop and stopped after a week, 1 exploded underneath her at 2 weeks in. She stepped on the first chick that tried to hatch and squished it. 3 more hatched out fine but passed within the first hour. Of the 2 that made it I got my keeper pullet Baby.

I’m sorry that happened, I’ve never had a broody, so that must be hard.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm not blaming myself, merely reflecting on the possibilities.

I honestly don't think there's any blame to be laid anywhere. Things go wrong. That's nature.

I can see why people like using incubators.

Oh, good. Crazy that we can’t always protect them while sitting right there, right?

 

[The-White-Elephant]

I’m sorry that happened, I’ve never had a broody, so that must be hard.

But I do have a question. What are my chances of my Cochins going broody? (9 Months)

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

But I do have a question. What are my chances of my Cochins going broody? (9 Months)

Everything I've read about Cochins says they are very broody, almost as bad as a silkie. I have 6 and have already had to break up 1 of the girls back in December. I'm sure I'm in for a lot of fun this coming spring with them.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Everything I've read about Cochins says they are very broody, almost as bad as a silkie. I have 6 and have already had to break up 1 of the girls back in December. I'm sure I'm in for a lot of fun this coming spring with them.

I hope mine will! I’ve never had a broody (I did once, don’t want to go in detail), so I hope my Cochins go broody. But they need to lay first.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes you will loose them using the incubator as well. To be honest the whole incubation process can be stressful, but there is nothing more heartbreaking to me then to have a chick fully develop and then for one reason or another not make it through the hatching process. So many things can go wrong and with some of them there is nothing you can do to prevent it. I've had experienced hens accidently step on the eggs mid hatch and squish the chicks trying to adjust them underneath her. I've also had one try to make that external pip into the yolk sack and that one ended very badly. Then there are the ones that completely develop and pass for one reason or another before they make the internal pip. This is one reason when I set a hen or fill the incubator I add a few extra eggs then I technically want to hatch. I always try to give the broody girls at least 8 eggs hoping between non starters and those that quit at some point in the incubation process I will get at least 4 to 5 chicks. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. The last chicks Holly hatched I set her with the last 9 fertile Drumstick eggs, she had 2 hatch. 2 started to develop and stopped after a week, 1 exploded underneath her at 2 weeks in. She stepped on the first chick that tried to hatch and squished it. 3 more hatched out fine but passed within the first hour. Of the 2 that made it I got my keeper pullet Baby.

So Sydney successfully hatching 3 out of 3 eggs was much more unusual than I thought. I never guessed how lucky her and I were.