Nevadans?

[Flowers of Abba]

I am isolating the rooster with only the three bv hens I. I am not going to cross the aracaunas.

someone suggested that a problem may be he is over breeding the aracaunas and not enough with the bv hens......

I have not collected hatching eggs this week since I was expecting a hatch!

I know, smart, right -

My plan is to set another batch of bv eggs on Sunday night or Monday morning. During the last week of incubation I will also collect a set of hatching eggs and put them on 55 degrees. Still snowing here so thats a plus for the hatching eggs!!!!!

So you will have for sure either hatching eggs and or chicks when your back in town!

btw congrats on getting the hubby to supervise! Last year I had to take my son to Stanford during lock down. My husband agreed (after much bribing) to oversee the hatch.

He pulled of a 100 % hatch. I couldn't believe it.

Anyhow,
Thank you for being so understanding. My girls cried a bit. We were getting so spoiled by success I suppose we were due for a let down.

 

[Humbrd]

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OK I'll check back with you in a couple weeks then. Question though, Why is snow good for hatching eggs? I was led to believe the eggs had to be kept between 50 & 70 degrees to be hatched. That's why I don't start hatching till after the first of March. I can't get the eggs collected before the temps drop too cold for hatching.

Humbrd

 

[Flowers of Abba]

When there is still snow outside I have a kitchen window that stays just at 55! There is no sun on that side of the house and I set them there with a little thermometer to keep an eye on them... We collect the eggs 3 times a day and they always get in the house still warm from the hens who hog up the nest box...

I don't like to collect for more than 7 days since I am impatient and want to set them while they are very fresh....

 

[SunnyDawn]

Congrats ke-ben and vegaschick!

Flowers I'm so sorry!!! I've had that happen before and it's so dissapointing!

 

[vegaschick]

7 hatched and 4 more pips.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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[Bloomie]

Howdy Everyone,

Been readin' all yer postin's, tryin' to catch up with the happenin's.

We learn'd a lesson last week about hatchin'

Had a hen go broody on us so we decided to let her sit and see what would happen.
We made her a nice spot of her own, marked the calendar and began the wait.

Half way thru the settin' she was fussin' to get out of her "special" cage, half killin' herself to escape.
( Thinkin' maaaaaybe it had something to do with the return of an injured hen that we had just returned to the coop.)

SOOOOOO......we let her out and watched to see if she'd return to the egg.....it appeared she was abandonin' the egg so my husband took it.

By the time I got to the where he was standin'.....next to the compost pile....he had cracked the egg open!

I was sickened by the sight of a tiny chick layin' on top of the compost.

We would have had an Easter chick had all gone differnt.

Do ya think the other two broody hens, who have nuttin' under them, would have continued to sit on the egg?
Or would the original hen have eventually returned to sit on her egg?
Is it normal for hens get off the egg for a spell? And if so, how long before ya can be certain the egg has been abandoned?

I feel like a chickie murderer........I'm sooooooooooo sorry

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Oh Bloomie! I'm so sorry! Unfortunately some hens don't sit for a long time without getting antsy. It is very normal for them to get up to eat, drink, poop and stretch their legs for a bit but, no, it is not normal for them to leave them for any long stretch of time. It can be hard to get a hen that has been broody for awhile continue to sit for another 3 weeks so if you want to let one try brooding her own again let her keep them as soon as you notice she is determined to sit (2nd or 3rd day). If she has been broody for a week or more don't expect her to sit for another 3 weeks after that as well. Although I have heard of such determined mothers that they will become weak from lack of nourishment and water, those hens are rare.
Good luck next time and tell your hubby to at least bury the poor chicky if that ever happens again so you don't have to see the poor baby sitting on top of the heap like that again.

 

[vegaschick]

Thanks for all the encouragement!

We now have 11 hatched and one working its way toward zipping. Pics are coming I promise!

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Can't wait!