Last weekend my broody was off her eggs for over two hours, and they were cool to the touch when I put her back on them so I thought for sure they were goners. Three of them hatched yesterday/today and the other two have pipped so should hatch tonight or tomorrow.
Still going to be okay?
It's been in the 80s for the past week, went out and found Sunshine off the nest sitting on two other eggs instead of her big clutch. They were a bit warmer then the "room temp" eggs. I promptly put her back on the eggs and she's been there ever since.
Also wanted to share a pic of Duchess and her brood of trouble makers
I think thats a good plan when they are getting harassed by the rest of the flock.My hen is doing well today with her 13 chicks.
All of them are hatched, and the feed store chicks have settled in well and fully accepted her as their mama. She has been in the coop with them, but the other chickens are pestering her, and she is getting stressed (she is pretty close to the bottom of the pecking order, so her threats are falling on deaf ears), so we are moving her and the babies to our brooder today. That way she can take care of them in peace, and they can have food and water without the other chickens coming and eating it all.
She is being a good mom, though. She has already started teaching her hatched chicks to eat food and drink water.
Here's my proud mama (her name is Maxine) with her chicks. They are in the chicken tractor in the shade for now until I can get the brooder ready. That way my other ladies can lay their eggs like they want to, and she is being left alone. Our dog is dutifully sitting next to the tractor, protecting them.
The black and white chicken in the background is Maxine's "hatch mate" Cricket, my Polish Crest. I got cricket and two other polish, but the other two died, so I got Maxine and two other chicks to raise with her when Cricket was a week old. They are very bonded to one another, and Cricket is dying that she can't get in that tractor. lol She is pacing back and forth in front of it. When Maxine was broody and sitting on the eggs, Cricket would go sit in the coop with her. It was to the point where I thought maybe she was broody also, but she wasn't. She just wanted to be with her buddy.
Thats great news for me! My hens eggs got cool for about an hour yesterday so Im praying they will be ok.
if it were much colder out I'd be worried. It has been pretty warm across most of the country. All should be fine!Thats great news for me! My hens eggs got cool for about an hour yesterday so Im praying they will be ok.
Oh yes, it has been no cooler then 80 degrees here.
