- Apr 2, 2010
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Sorry to hear about the loss. I'd say that she probably knew something that you can't tell by just looking at the egg. Maybe the chick had already died, or something. There was a really interesting post a few weeks ago, here it is:
"The article is titled, Psych 101 by Carol Ekarius
"When a hen is brooding eggs, itis very desirable for the hatching of those eggs to be synchronized," says Dr. Mench. "There is communication going on between the hen and the chicks (or chick embryos at this point) that ultimately leads to the eggs development either speeding up or slowing down so that they hatch around the same time. Scientists have discovered (using tiny microphones connected to eggs and placed in the nest) that the hen hears vocal responses from the embryos to her vocalizations. These responses give her clues as to how the embryos are developing compared to each other. Based on that communication, she turns the eggs at different rates, moving one that is maturing a little more quickly out to the edge of the pile to cool off and slow down, while moving one that is maturing more slowly to the center of the nest to speed development."
My guess is that the chick may have stopped talking back or was making the wrong sound and knew there was a problem.
Interesting....the funny thing is that one of the brown eggs was just outside the nest the other day and I tucked it back under her. She tucked it back under but she probably knew something was going on at that time. I have the eggs numbered but did not check (so don't really know why I bothered to number them
Thanks for the info. Angelina is sitting dutifully on her eggs and sofar they are all still under her I am assuming in one piece..
We have her in her own part of the coop with the usual shavings and some straw in her nest. I have changed her water container from the hanging one so she can get use to the one the chicks will be able to reach. Should I put marbles in it as I do when I have my bator hatched babies...or will Mama watch with the water danger? I want to make sure she can get to it too.
I must say I do like this broody hatching! No obsessively staring at the incubator/thermometer/hygrometer/unhatched eggs...and mama does all the work:cd
Sorry to hear about the loss. I'd say that she probably knew something that you can't tell by just looking at the egg. Maybe the chick had already died, or something. There was a really interesting post a few weeks ago, here it is:
"The article is titled, Psych 101 by Carol Ekarius
"When a hen is brooding eggs, itis very desirable for the hatching of those eggs to be synchronized," says Dr. Mench. "There is communication going on between the hen and the chicks (or chick embryos at this point) that ultimately leads to the eggs development either speeding up or slowing down so that they hatch around the same time. Scientists have discovered (using tiny microphones connected to eggs and placed in the nest) that the hen hears vocal responses from the embryos to her vocalizations. These responses give her clues as to how the embryos are developing compared to each other. Based on that communication, she turns the eggs at different rates, moving one that is maturing a little more quickly out to the edge of the pile to cool off and slow down, while moving one that is maturing more slowly to the center of the nest to speed development."
My guess is that the chick may have stopped talking back or was making the wrong sound and knew there was a problem.
Interesting....the funny thing is that one of the brown eggs was just outside the nest the other day and I tucked it back under her. She tucked it back under but she probably knew something was going on at that time. I have the eggs numbered but did not check (so don't really know why I bothered to number them
Thanks for the info. Angelina is sitting dutifully on her eggs and sofar they are all still under her I am assuming in one piece..
We have her in her own part of the coop with the usual shavings and some straw in her nest. I have changed her water container from the hanging one so she can get use to the one the chicks will be able to reach. Should I put marbles in it as I do when I have my bator hatched babies...or will Mama watch with the water danger? I want to make sure she can get to it too.
I must say I do like this broody hatching! No obsessively staring at the incubator/thermometer/hygrometer/unhatched eggs...and mama does all the work:cd
