NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

I'm just curious... do hens seem to recognize their own offspring after they have grown up? Do they get depressed when older chicks are sold/given away?
I know, silly question. Just curious! lol

In my experience some hens are done with their chicks much earlier than others. Breed does make a difference. Now the Sussex hen she will take any chick comes her way. Once the BM hen was done she took the chicks in even though she didn't hatch them. She now covers all three even though only one is hers.

Now Frenchy and Buckwheat, mom and dd , stay together. Some hens don't seem to care if another hen adopts hers and she's left with one or none. I don't think any of the four hens knows whose is whose. I do get nervous not knowing if a chick is covered at night.

So far I find my EE's are the most determined sitters. Only reason I don't give them eggs is I'd have to dig out the new ones laid in there each night.

 

[rancher hicks]

Evening All,
Ducks put themselves in the coop again for night # 2!! Things are starting to look up with them! One less thing I'll have to worry about while I'm away next weekend.

Congrats on all the hatches!

Welcome newbies!

Stony, you're making me nervous on the taking the chicks away from a broody as I'd like to find homes for at least 2 of the 4 chicks that just hatched. I know Stella gets worried when I pick up one the chicks but calms right back down after I place it back. Hmmm guess I have some rethinking to do.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

I'd give the two I don't want away or whatever and I think the hen will be fine. I've have hens lose a chick, her only chick and she's fine. So I figure they don't get depressed. Though I don't like to leave her with no chicks at all. I think like all creatures they're all different and you can't pin them down to being one way or the other.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well I had family up here past few days so I have over 2 days of posts to read. Sadly I don't think I can do it I tend to speed read wich don't work on posts and i'll end up skipping posts all together doing it. In past two days I've ready 2.5 books of beautiful creatures series.

I hope everything as been going well for everyone.

Today is day 7 of my bator eggs from local farms. I desided to candle with the kids. We have 8 out of 35 eggs having veins. A few of the eggs are darker at top, a couple that are almost just lightly shaded at top so not developing at all I would say. Going to candle on day 10 and 13. Figure all should have something by then if they are going to be fertile. If looks like almost nothing in there then pitching them. Temp has been holding pretty good and humidity has been low 30's it's around 40 now but that's cause I opened the bator and let some in.

Ok so I had the roo do the dance at me it seemed. Is this fool confused or is he maybe challenging me? I know he gets up set when I make the hens leave the coop I thought he was going to attack me today when I kicked one of my bantams to make it move some. It's so weird he sleeps on floor with the light Sussex while others roost. I think I want to get rid of this light Sussex it is not the smartest bird and just don't think I want to breed it at all. I like the coloring even if it does have more black splash on back than it should have but I cant see breeding something that seems a few pistons short of an engine. think I may have to lcok this roo up till all my girls grow the LS is my oldest/biggest right now and they sleep like ducks on ground together.

jlaw

My BR and a hen sleep on the floor. I attribute it to not having a roost early enough. My Sussex hen is very nice but has gone broody twice and is the longest at mothering. I got her from Marquella, so if you do decide to get more and you didn't get yours from her, I would. I've no intention of breeding them but of the breeds I don't, I'd say hers is a nice sized bird. Not sure how they are for eating size.

 

[Lynzi777]

I'd give the two I don't want away or whatever and I think the hen will be fine. I've have hens lose a chick, her only chick and she's fine. So I figure they don't get depressed. Though I don't like to leave her with no chicks at all. I think like all creatures they're all different and you can't pin them down to being one way or the other.

Thats what I'm thinking. I definitely wont be taking them all from her because I do plan on keeping 2. I'd like her to raise them as much as possible.

 

[stonykill]

Sorry to hear of everyone's troubles.

Happy to hear about all the hatches.

Thank you for idea of feeding ducks only at night to get them back in the coop. This, of course, assumes that they ever LEAVE the coop. LOL At 2 weeks old they can't get back into the coop without help, so they aren't leaving the coop much.

Welcome to all the new people on this thread. Glad to have ya.

Here is my question of wiser than I ones.....how come a hen that laid a normal sized egg for over a year all the sudden is laying an egg 1/2 the size of a bantam egg? And how do I get the size to increase. It is the cutest little green egg, but really really useless, as it would take about 7 of them to equal the "2 large eggs" that most recipes call for.

Cass how long has your girl been laying tiny "fart" eggs? One once in a while is nothing to worry about. I've never even had fart eggs 2 days in a row. What is happening is the egg is moving too quickly so it never fully forms into a complete egg. I'd be really surprised if there is both white and yolk in those fart eggs. Probably either just white or just yolk and a really thick shell.
It is probably nothing and will pass on it's own but if this has been going on for weeks I would certainly keep an eye on her. If it is every few days it will probably just pass. I have no idea what to do for an egg that forms too quickly. I don't think there is anything but to wait it out.

 

[Cass]

Cass how long has your girl been laying tiny "fart" eggs? One once in a while is nothing to worry about. I've never even had fart eggs 2 days in a row. What is happening is the egg is moving too quickly so it never fully forms into a complete egg. I'd be really surprised if there is both white and yolk in those fart eggs. Probably either just white or just yolk and a really thick shell.
It is probably nothing and will pass on it's own but if this has been going on for weeks I would certainly keep an eye on her. If it is every few days it will probably just pass. I have no idea what to do for an egg that forms too quickly. I don't think there is anything but to wait it out.

I have 4 of them in the fridge. I am NOT amused, as she used to lay an XL egg almost daily. They are all just coming out of molting....what a scraggily bunch of birds. But I am thinking after 4 days of tiny eggs she should get with the program. I have recently restretched my hose to the chicken coop so I can provide fresh water daily....was only doing it when the waterer was empty, cuz I have to carry it down from the house. (in my defense there are 6 water containers out in my yard/coop, so they were never deprived of water for even one minute of the day) Maybe that will help. Right now I am ready to give all my chickens away and start a new flock of Mixed breed birds...nothing pure bred, cuz only my mixes are laying consistently.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Ok have 3 little babies so far 2 Australorps and a BLRW others are moving around so hopefully will have more babies soon. Plus I have another bator I put on Lockdown last night that one has Cochin and Blue silver Ameraucanas in it only a dozen of them but will see what I get .

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Eowyn and her babies. The one in front has some curled toes. I am hoping they will straighten out soon. It doesnt move as well as its siblings.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

 

[Lynzi777]

Awwww so cute Pharm!!! So nice to see some more Silkie babies on this thread ;-)