Our First Broody Hen So Excited! UPDATED with some PICS

[BunnyMomma]

That is what I do with the new hens too. They will learn after a few tries. Congrats on your chicks! I bet they are as cute as can be. I had to help some of my EE eggs to zip out of the shell. The shells were so hard that the little fellows couldn't get out without help. It was touch and go, but I was able to get many of them out safely. I never thought I'd be a midwife to a bunch of hens!

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Well we had to cull one of the chicks. It didn't absorb all of the yolk and stuff and we left it to see if it could and it never did. I brought it in and tried cleaning it up good and when I pulled the clump off after soaking it a cord like thing pulled out and lots of yolk looking stuff came pouring out and it stunk to high heaven. I didn't want it to get sick and suffer so I had my hubby cull it. I hated that too but what else could we do. The other 5 are doing awesome and they are all over the coop with their mama and so stinkin' cute I can't stand it lol. I need to get pics again but it has been raining here.

How are the chicks doing your ways??

 

[michiele]

We ended up with 6 chicks after I rescued them from their mama. Three were still in their eggs when I took them inside. Of those three, one hatched out by itself, but the other 2 we helped along. They are 1 and 2 days old, and everyone seems to be doing well. They are French Black Copper Marans. What a bunch of cuties!

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Oh they are so cute!!! Ours are just mixes between our hens which are 3 NH Reds, 1 Golden Comet, and 2 SLWs. I have no idea which eggs belonged to which hen lol. Our neighbor's EE roo is the Dad of them babies and some definitely have the EE look. I can't wait to see how they change. I can't wait to see how the others hatch out too. We lost one of her eggs today. It was broken so I don't know what happened with it.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

One of our first chicks just disappeared. I think maybe a cat got it. But we are being extra vigilant about locking up now. Today our second clutch has started hatching. One hatched but I think the mama accidentally suffocated it as the nest box is kind of tight. So we cleared her out a larger area in the coop so she has more room to maneuver around and more air around them. It is pretty hot here in GA so I don't want to make it harder on them. I don't know how many will make it. There is another one hatched and it just has a little bit of shell still on it so I hope it does ok. Are the mamas supposed to eat little pieces of the shells when they hatch? The first broody did that too.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

We got some photos of the chicks today. Here are a couple of the older ones. One took off across the coop so it missed the photo shoot lol. The one on the left definitely has the green easter egger legs lol. I am not sure which ones belong to which Mom though. Their feathers are coming in great for only being a week old and the mama is wonderful.

We only had 3 chicks make it out of the second broody's clutch. 3 died and the other eggs were duds. But the 3 left are super cute too. They are so tiny now but in a week they will be like the others. I forgot how quickly they grow.

 

[michiele]

Cute chicks!!!