Official Squatch Watchers

[WVduckchick]

Hey guys, look what my FIL found this morning.
View attachment 1684625

Apparently, one of my Bantam Cochin/Chocolate Orps went broody and hid eggs. We aren't' sure how many more there are out there. It just shows what I good broody can do. I need to see if any more babies are going to hatch and if any of the eggs are underdeveloped I need to bring them in and put them in the incubator.

@WVduckchick apparently those little girls I hatched from the eggs you gave me with the Chocolates are good little mamas.

That’s awesome!! What a cutie!!! They can be relentless, huh?!
Those girls are broody queens!! I only ever had one bad cochin or orp broody, but it was her first time. I let her try again and she was great the next time around.

 

[Redhead Rae]

That’s awesome!! What a cutie!!! They can be relentless, huh?!
Those girls are broody queens!! I only ever had one bad cochin or orp broody, but it was her first time. I let her try again and she was great the next time around.

They are a little over 11 months old now. So she should be ok. I just need to get the feed and water situation sorted.

 

[WVduckchick]

They are a little over 11 months old now. So she should be ok. I just need to get the feed and water situation sorted.

Hard to believe they are that old now lol. Sneaky broodies. Are you going to move them? I’ll keep a watch out for new pics later.

Waters frozen again this morning. I hope this crap is almost over.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Hard to believe they are that old now lol. Sneaky broodies. Are you going to move them? I’ll keep a watch out for new pics later.

I dunno, I'm thinking about it.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Apparently there are two babies that are dry enough to be running around. I need to get out there to check on them but I have to work this morning.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I just realized that there is an easy fix to the separation issue. I have a mobile coop (wire bottom with roosts so the poop falls out) that is up on blocks in the run that we've just had shut up. I can move the rest of the flock into that and let mama and the babies have the coop.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Up to 3 babies now.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I just turned on my incubator just in case there are any eggs close to hatching but mama leaves them on the nest. I think I'll let anything that isn't as far as lock down go since I may not be able to integrate the chicks with mama. Apparently she has a big pile of eggs.

 

[apryl29]

I have a 4x4 huddle box in my hoop coop... I have seen 24 full grown chickens cram themselves in there... leaving the other huddle box empty...

as far as summer, they will be able to find shade while they are free... in a coop it depends where it's at.

I love when they do the clown car thing. I don't know why, but it's amusing to watch an unending line of chickens come out of a too small space. Like those enormous chickens come through a tiny pop door.

In first thread the pictures show their yard is fenced in. Not a little 4' fence either. So if you think their area is to small and even they don't like it let them free range, in your own yard. I would still move the coop and use it for sleeping and egg laying.

That didn't make sense either. It must not be closed off completely b/c the dog got to them.. Or there's a gate and they're too lazy to close it.

Ok....guess where I went today? Go ahead.....guess? C'mon....guess, guess. Ok I'll tell you. I went to Meyer hatchery! So many babies! So much temptation! But alas.....I bought nothing. I have a broody Silkie and thought about getting a couple to slip under her but I have no backup plan in case she doesn't accept them. Yet! It was only a 40 minute drive so I will definitely go back.

If she's truly broody she'll probably take them. I had no trouble w/ Loki accepting her babies last summer. After that first egg hatched & the baby disappeared she went right back to trying to sit on eggs. I just slipped them under her at night while she was sleeping & took the eggs she was sitting on. They crawled right under her like they knew her. She was sooo happy.

Oh no you DIDN'T...!!! I am so glad I don't live by a hatchery. I'd be divorced.

I have chicken fever really, really bad.

If you were divorced you'd have more room for chickens.

Check this out. Behind the scenes tour

When I was at TSC this weekend, there was a sign that said chick days were coming soon...They usually have quite a few there during chick days!

Did your store have a huge cage around the brooders? At both the TSC stores I went to recently they swapped the cattle panels out for a huge cage. Like this:

I guess they the panels weren't enough to keep people out.

I was very much less than impressed last year at our local feed stores and TSC. To much pasty butt, to many bins mixed up and WAY to many straight run bins.

I have what may as well be a Meyer just 30 minutes from here. That feed store is freaking awesome! They will special order anything you want. They also have no less than 15 breeds on hand!

AND they will take back oopsters if they have room!

https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/grd/d/fort-collins-lots-of-chicks-this-week/6824276913.html

This is their most recent list.

They have Derps and cream brabanters!!! OMG!!

Our store seems to do a good job of keeping the chicks well cared for, but we're a somewhat rural area and I think most of the people who work there are farm type people.

One thing I almost bought were these rubbery, plastic like nest box mats. I noticed that the chicken chick uses them. They can be easily removed and cleaned and there is no need for shavings in the boxes. Anyone here use them? I didn't buy them because they seemed kind of prickly....the lady at Meyer said they are big sellers

I've not bought those, but someone had told me they just fold up old feed bags and put those in in the bottom of nesting boxes. It works well at adding a bit of cushion for the eggs. My boxes are wood and I had several cracked or broken eggs from the fall b/c mine also like to scrape away the bedding to expose the bottom (WHHYYYYY?????!!!!!) I still use straw in the box, and the bag is great b/c when I do get a broken egg it's easy to pull the whole bag out and dump the gross straw than sit there and try to pick out the wet stuff.

I saw some great pictures today. People selling snowmen "assembly required". Or signs for "free snow". My favorite was a snowman with an angry face holding a sign "Even I've had Enough!"

I saw one this morning of cops down in AZ who were 'investigating a white powder'. I guess it's good to find some humor in such an unexpected event.

A chicken roaming the neighborhood, and wanting a warm, dry place for the night is how Gurtrude entered our lives. Maybe someone will do the same thing with the OP's chickens.

How's Gurtrude doing?

Hey guys, look what my FIL found this morning.
View attachment 1684625


Apparently, one of my Bantam Cochin/Chocolate Orps went broody and hid eggs. We aren't' sure how many more there are out there. It just shows what I good broody can do. I need to see if any more babies are going to hatch and if any of the eggs are underdeveloped I need to bring them in and put them in the incubator.

Adorable! I guess someone didn't get your memo about no babies til after the baby.

Hard to believe they are that old now lol. Sneaky broodies. Are you going to move them? I’ll keep a watch out for new pics later.

Waters frozen again this morning. I hope this crap is almost over.

So yesterday evening I went to scoop poop and collect eggs and I let the birds out and my poor bantam is trying, unsuccessfully to scavenge the few drops of water at the bottom of a hole in the ICE in their water dish... I'd unplugged it on Friday b/c it was spring for the day and had forgotten to plug it back in. I'm a terrible chicken mother.

 

[apryl29]

I just turned on my incubator just in case there are any eggs close to hatching but mama leaves them on the nest. I think I'll let anything that isn't as far as lock down go since I may not be able to integrate the chicks with mama. Apparently she has a big pile of eggs.

Ok, this is the BEST easter egg hunt ever! I don't know why, but I'm ridiculously excited for you. Where was she hiding that they missed noticing her? Did they look around for any other broodies?