My Broody Experiment has ended.. :0(

[Griffox]

Aww...what lucky kids to have such generous and chicken crazy parents! There's still hope; don't give up just yet. These are tough little chickies and mine seem to be late hatchers, too. Hopefully they're just trying to work up the courage to come out into this great big world.

Either way, at least you get to buy a bator now! Hmmm...I see your future, and there are lots of chicks in it.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Yes.

I put them under her at 12:30PM on the 18th... I mis counted Day 21 ended at 12:30PM on the 8th.

So, I did what my older brother would do when I was a kid, I call it the "slight shake test" right up next to my ear.

I take each egg, give it a slight shake next to my good hearing ear. If I hear sloshing or movement of any kind, I know that: a) the egg was infertile in the first place (I doubt that)
or b) the egg was scrambled by the Post Office or c) conditions just weren't right for it to develop.

So I did the "slight shake test" on all 6 eggs.

4 eggs sounded really sloshy. 2 eggs had no sound and felt what I call "warm".

I took the 4 sloshy eggs, puntured the large end where the air sac would be and stinky ROTTEN egg spilled out into the double plastic bag I had placed there. There wasn't even the hint in any of the liquid that any of the four had ever started development at all. So one of the three options above was the case.

I thought about doing an "eggtopsy" on the other two, but left them under her. I imagine when I do the eggtopsy on them that they will be in various stages of development, but that they aren't alive as I listened to them very closely.

So now the search begins/continues for an incubator that is sturdy, reliable and semi-kid proof.

I called Pratts. They have no new babies that I can put under her and don't expect any for a couple of weeks. (Youngest they have is 4 weeks old)

I'll call the place up on Adobe and the grower that supplies birds to them, but I suppose I'm content to just enjoy my birds and somehow help Neckie get over being broody... Unless there is someone out there in AZ land who has new baby chicks or someone else willing to ship newbies to me. (Like TODAY)

We live and learn.

 

[wegotchickens]

What a bummer. So sorry this didn't end on a happier note.

Wish I had chicks I could send you.
Wish I had chicks right now!
Gonna have to fill my own bator, I guess.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Well darn... Wishing you much better luck next time.

 

[sara]

That stinks.

 

[deerman]

Put some other eggs or fake one under her untill you can find some chicks.

 

[pasofinofarm]

Quote:
For the health of the hen I would not put her through another setting cycle. Get a 'bator and let me send you 'replacements'.

Hurry and get a 'bator and I'll send you the dozen SF's I've got right now for postage. Better chicks for you than breakfast for me.

So sorry!

M

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
For the health of the hen I would not put her through another setting cycle. Get a 'bator and let me send you 'replacements'.

Hurry and get a 'bator and I'll send you the dozen SF's I've got right now for postage. Better chicks for you than breakfast for me.

So sorry!

M

I don't think deerman was referring to having her set a whole different batch, just something to keep her there a few more days till Mahonri can find some babies for her. I've done that, a few days won't hurt her, if she will stay. The hen I did that with was so determined that even after setting 2 sets that hatched nothing, she went back to an empty nest. I figured if she was that determined, a few more days wouldn't kill her! I hope you find some babies for her. I'm so sorry that they didn't hatch!

 

[al6517]

Wow this is just like a little chicken soap opera, I have been following you & netties every move, I must say your a good Dad to the hen and your kids. the very best of luck to you. good job in posting updates you are a dedicated one I will say that.

AL

 

[Mahonri]

Just arrived back from SLC.

When the 14 year old got home, he saw my note, called my cell phone and left a message... he was sobbing. If felt so badly for him.

He has found me a hovabator with airflow and an egg turner for under $130 somewhere... I still don't know how much shipping is and I imagine we'd have to buy a hygrometer. He's even got the spot picked out in our home to place it.

My wife just smiles at how she has two kids (14 year old and 12 year old) that are more chicken fanatics than her husband and it makes me smile when folks come to the house to buy eggs and SHE offers to take them out back to see the boys chickens.

I'm taking Neckie off of the nest tomorrow and leaving her outside of the coop and run all day.

We'll do the "eggtopsy" on the final two eggs either before or after church.

It's good to be home, but....

I slept for 7 hours straight in the bed at the Marriott last night. I WANT A BED LIKE THAT ONE!