MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

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

Yes! It seems like one simple act on my part would've had a big change in outcomes but I didn't know the chick was in trouble and my commitment to not intervene stopped me from checking every few minutes.

 

[MaryJanet]

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.

This paints a very clear picture, thank you.

I thought I'd end up with two chicks from four eggs and then the eggs arrived over three days and I didn't know about keeping them in an egg carton and turning them by hand, so three went under Peggy and the last one to arrive was opened to look for the spot. I can see now I should've started with six eggs.

 

[MaryJanet]

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.

Looks that way doesn't it. I was expecting attrition but not this much and not from a hen's mistake.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes. And I was sitting right there, sticking to my decision to not interfere. In most cases, that would be the right thing to do, but in this one, I should've kept Peggy from going back into the nest once the chick had started hatching under Ivy.

There is no way you could have known. Other people including myself have had double and even triple sitters and healthy chicks have hatched. You've been unlucky and so have Peggy and Ivy.
Hens will quite happily leave sick or late chicks at the nest when they decide it's time to go. Having "saved" a couple of chicks many years ago only to find out later that they had problems that were not apparent at the time, I resolved never to interfere again. If mum abandons them, I kill them.
It's unfortunate that this has happened on your/their first attempt. I doubt it will put them off and you shouldn't let it put you off either...imo

 

[Ribh]

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.

No guarantees with broodies. Don't wish it on yourself unless you are planning a hatch. They can drive the rest of the tribe crazy & act like complete lunatics ~ to say nothing of hogging the favourite box.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

No guarantees with broodies. Don't wish it on yourself unless you are planning a hatch. They can drive the rest of the tribe crazy & act like complete lunatics ~ to say nothing of hogging the favourite box.

Oh, but I'm ready! Never had a broody, I NEED for them to go broody!

 

[MaryJanet]

Oh, but I'm ready! Never had a broody, I NEED for them to go broody!

Warm weather seems to be the main trigger.

Even so, Janet has never been broody, which strikes me as odd because she's the only one who squats!

The other three are reliably broody 2-3 times a year, especially Ivy.

 

[MaryJanet]

Still no peeps from the slow emerger.

 

[micstrachan]

Yes! It seems like one simple act on my part would've had a big change in outcomes but I didn't know the chick was in trouble and my commitment to not intervene stopped me from checking every few minutes.

Nature, like you said. I’m still sad to hear it, though.

 

[MaryJanet]

Nature, like you said. I’m still sad to hear it, though.

I think we all are.

I guess this why hens like to make such a big clutch before setting.