MJ's little flock

[RoyalChick]

Oi! What about the Uncles.

I mean seriously we may be under represented on this forum but...

I didn’t want to embarrass the Uncles by asserting they were emotionally vested!
But yes, the hug is clearly big enough to include the Uncles.

 

[Shadrach]

I didn’t want to embarrass the Uncles by asserting they were emotionally vested!
But yes, the hug is clearly big enough to include the Uncles.

Pfftt. Being British and therefore emotionally reticent isn't easy you know.
You should have seen some of the male Catalan game fowl keepers if one wanted to see some naked emotion when it came to their charges. I felt sorry for their wives who came a long way second best.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well, I didn't like to say it outright earlier because I didn't want to stir up a storm of posts, but I did go ahead and try an adoption (immediately after I answered Ribh's post above).

It didn't go well.

Here are the details.

Today I purchased a heat plate and 4 x 4 day old chicks (2 Australorp like Mary and 2 Sussex because they're big chicks).

I got them home OK and set them up in a big bird cage. They ate, pooped, slept, and drank. One of the Australorps has an ear-piercing peep.

I let them be and went out to do my late afternoon chickening, checked on Mary, and came back in. That's when I reported there had been no progress on the hatching. At that point I was thinking perhaps day 27? But it didn't seem likely.

Anyway, I had dinner and watched some TV, then set about the adoption. The first thing I did was get the big tub spare nest ready with 3 fake eggs in it. I set it beside the new little coop.

Then I put the chicks in a box and brought them outside. I sat the box on top of the little coop.

By the way, I was using my red fishing torch, which is always fantastic for doing anything with the hens at night time.

Next, I relocated Mary from her nest to the tub nest. She sat quietly on the 3 fake eggs.

I immediately saw she had pooped the nest again. I fished the eggs out - only 2 of them? B and C. Where was A? Time was of the essence, so I cleared out the poopy part of the nest.

By this time, the chicks were peeping.

While clearing out the poopy part, I found egg A, way over the other side. That was the one that rolled the ramp a couple of weeks ago. Clearly Mary had pushed it away.

Eggs went into a tupperware. Fresh straw went into the clean nest.

Mary went into the clean nest. The chicks went into the clean nest.

Peeping.

Screaming from Mary. Fluffing up defensively.

I waited, the peeping continued.

She kept screaming and fluffing up. The chicks tried going under but the screams (and possibly the smells) put them off and they collapsed in a group in a corner.

I thought right. They can't stay there all night. Back in the box, back inside, in the brooder.

Then I started thinking of Mary with the tiniest shred of hope from the bantam eggs, and that she'd been sitting for so long. I went back outside to consider her situation. I tried to stand her up and she couldn't seem to find her feet. I know that's normal when first awakening a broody, but she had been awake and moved to and fro for about 30 minutes by then.

I put her on the roost. She shat like she meant it, poor love. She could barely grip the roost, but with some support from me, she gained her footing and hiccupped. She was a little vocal about it for the first 20-30 seconds, then she went quiet and I heard her clack clack clack her beak like she does when she's settling down for the night.

So the story of the hatch is at an end.

The chicks will grow in the big bird cage which is now a brooder until they need a bigger space, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. They love the heat plate, they love the crumbles, they love the water, the love each other. They make a wholly disproportionate mess. Once they're off the heat, they can go live the big coop outside, which has been empty since Katie was using it as a hospital a few months ago.

Now. Does anyone want to see a video of the chicks??

 

[RoyalChick]

Well, I didn't like to say it outright earlier because I didn't want to stir up a storm of posts, but I did go ahead and try an adoption (immediately after I answered Ribh's post above).

It didn't go well.

Here are the details.

Today I purchased a heat plate and 4 x 4 day old chicks (2 Australorp like Mary and 2 Sussex because they're big chicks).

I got them home OK and set them up in a big bird cage. They ate, pooped, slept, and drank. One of the Australorps has an ear-piercing peep.

I let them be and went out to do my late afternoon chickening, checked on Mary, and came back in. That's when I reported there had been no progress on the hatching. At that point I was thinking perhaps day 27? But it didn't seem likely.

Anyway, I had dinner and watched some TV, then set about the adoption. The first thing I did was get the big tub spare nest ready with 3 fake eggs in it. I set it beside the new little coop.

Then I put the chicks in a box and brought them outside. I sat the box on top of the little coop.

By the way, I was using my red fishing torch, which is always fantastic for doing anything with the hens at night time.

Next, I relocated Mary from her nest to the tub nest. She sat quietly on the 3 fake eggs.

I immediately saw she had pooped the nest again. I fished the eggs out - only 2 of them? B and C. Where was A? Time was of the essence, so I cleared out the poopy part of the nest.

By this time, the chicks were peeping.

While clearing out the poopy part, I found egg A, way over the other side. That was the one that rolled the ramp a couple of weeks ago. Clearly Mary had pushed it away.

Eggs went into a tupperware. Fresh straw went into the clean nest.

Mary went into the clean nest. The chicks went into the clean nest.

Peeping.

Screaming from Mary. Fluffing up defensively.

I waited, the peeping continued.

She kept screaming and fluffing up. The chicks tried going under but the screams (and possibly the smells) put them off and they collapsed in a group in a corner.

I thought right. They can't stay there all night. Back in the box, back inside, in the brooder.

Then I started thinking of Mary with the tiniest shred of hope from the bantam eggs, and that she'd been sitting for so long. I went back outside to consider her situation. I tried to stand her up and she couldn't seem to find her feet. I know that's normal when first awakening a broody, but she had been awake and moved to and fro for about 30 minutes by then.

I put her on the roost. She shat like she meant it, poor love. She could barely grip the roost, but with some support from me, she gained her footing and hiccupped. She was a little vocal about it for the first 20-30 seconds, then she went quiet and I heard her clack clack clack her beak like she does when she's settling down for the night.

So the story of the hatch is at an end.

The chicks will grow in the big bird cage which is now a brooder until they need a bigger space, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. They love the heat plate, they love the crumbles, they love the water, the love each other. They make a wholly disproportionate mess. Once they're off the heat, they can go live the big coop outside, which has been empty since Katie was using it as a hospital a few months ago.

Now. Does anyone want to see a video of the chicks??

Well clearly another group hug is warranted.

And need you ask? Of course we want to see video of the chicks!
I hope Mary recovers her equanimity (and her strength) quickly.
She gets her own hug.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well clearly another group hug is warranted.
View attachment 3984180

And need you ask? Of course we want to see video of the chicks!
I hope Mary recovers her equanimity (and her strength) quickly.
She gets her own hug.

I think so too. I hope no one is offended that I just went ahead without consulting.

Mary deserves it.

Sitting in her poop. Twice. Poor old darling.

I'll set the video up and share it.

Then I'll be off to bed because it's a full Monday tomorrow.

 

[MaryJanet]

 

[Ribh]

Well of course we want to see the chicks!

 

[LozzyR]

That was my reaction exactly - only I didn't say it.

I don’t have much of a filter.

 

[LozzyR]

Oi! What about the Uncles.

I mean seriously we may be under represented on this forum but...

C’mere you!

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm delighted to say Mary hasn't returned to the nest yet this morning. A moment ago she actually scampered No one's pecked her that I know of, not even Peggy. Katie and Edie are obligingly running out of her way, the sweethearts. Mary's doing lots of flappy stand-tall maneuvers. I guess moving her body feels good.

I'm satisfied she had the best possible opportunity to have chicks before her implant. It didn't work out, and that's ok.

The next opportunity to hatch will be Ivy's. She is usually the next hen to turn broody but it'll take warmer weather in her case. She once had an egg that almost hatched so I know she can do it.