New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[speckledhen]

Mary, I'm sorry about your Freckles. Bummer. I have had one SS hen years back, my Nelda. For some reason, her crop stopped functioning and I couldn't get it working again. Not sure what was wrong internally, but something must have been. Then, I got a SS chick from a feed store and she didn't make it past two weeks old, failure to thrive. Good luck on your hatch!

 

[1muttsfan]

We sure miss her!

 

[speckledhen]

I bet you do! oh, Aimee or her daughter, Mina, gave us another Belgian D'Anver egg today. What is up with these ancient hens laying all of a sudden? Makes me wonder if it's a last hurrah before kicking the bucket, but both are really spry, especially Aimee herself.

 

[1muttsfan]

Those little Speckled Sussex eggs are so cute. I forgot what it was like having bantam eggs. Day 11 today.

 

[speckledhen]

I candled Bonnie's eggs. I tossed Aimee's D'Anver egg, didn't expect it to be fertile anyway. I tossed one infertile Brahma egg. Saw one with a bizarre air cell as if it was a shipped egg, but there was an embryo. And the rest seemed to be developing normally so she now has six Brahma eggs on Day 7 today.

 

[1muttsfan]

My hatch day is coming on Friday. All 7 of the shipped bantam SS eggs have been developing in the incubator, knock on wood . Broody hen still has 9 of her 12 eggs - the others have disappeared. She is a great big fluffy thing, so there was plenty of room. She will get everything that hatches to raise.

 

[speckledhen]

Bonnie is a BEAST of a broody. She will take your hand off if you get too close to her on the nest. She has always been that way, in contrast to Brandy. I leave a small pan of water in front of her because I have not been able to get her to drink one sip when she's off the nest, nor have I seen her drink from that little round pan, but she must be or after a week, she'd be dead in this heat. She's very dedicated, that gal. I even held her up and poured water down her beak, but she probably didn't get much that way. Broodies like her frustrate me, unlike the good girls who drink, eat and poop off the nest in my presence.

 

[1muttsfan]

Not great to have a biter, but nice to know she is a devoted mama.

 

[speckledhen]

She is like that until the chicks are about a week old, then she seems to calm down. She'll even rush me at times like a threatening rooster after they hatch. Yep, no question she will defend those chicks.

 

[speckledhen]

Bonnie is on Day 17 today. She has six full of chick eggs. One has a very odd air cell, like a shipped egg, no idea why. That one I have reservations about, but it seems okay otherwise, full of baby in there. She is vicious! I have to avoid her beak and grab her from the back to get her off the nest. She won't get off on her own and it's been super hot. The way we set her up is in a tub used for mixing cement so I can put a bowl of water in front of her and some food. She isn't eating much unless I make her scrambled eggs with yogurt and has lost a good bit of weight. Thankfully, she has only a few days to go and the temps are supposed to be going down a bit the next few days.