Our first broody...shipped eggs started on 8/10. Come & hatch along!

[Miss Red]

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eta: also, none of the males have ever had muffs... And still this little male doesn't but they've all got rose combs for the first time EVER so I'm egg cited for blue eggers out of them finally... I have three green eggers and four browns from last hatches still here.
Jostin and Piggy tend to throw sex linked chicks. She's white, he's red... All the chicks I've hatched from their matings have been grey males and red variety females. All 50 some odd of them... So according to the way they've been hatching, I've got two females and a male out right now. The fourth egg has been quiet and no signs of a fourth hick so tonight I'm going to pull it and see.

 

[embkm]

I had one hatch yesterday, but it didnt make it through the night. Another was half hatched, but died before getting all the way out (it was upside down in the egg, so maybe it drowned). Those were both half leghorn chicks. Out of the remaining 3 banty and 2 large, I thought I heard at least one softly peeping but the roosters were crowing so loud I couldnt hear mouch. I will be going out again in a little while to check on them, I am not completely giving up hope yet.

 

[Tropical Chook]

I haven't candled my lot, and in fact, I haven't even touched the eggs since I put them in the nest, but when I was outside this morning I noticed my broody come out of the nest for a quick feed and etc. so I thought I'll just check if all four eggs are still there. Well, all fout are still in the nest so I had a feel and all were warm, but I also noticed that one felt lighter than the others.

Now, I'm trying to tell myself that the three heavy ones are doing fine and will hatch, while the light one is a dud, but of course I know that this may just be wishful thinking on my part

I was so tempted to bring them in for candling, but with only two days or so to go, I decided against it.

Good luck to everyone else

 

[damselfish]

Amazingly enough, I heard a peeper this morning. Red was talking back to it. I think it's still in the shell. She won't take treats from me this morning and is very defensive, so I think there's something going on out there. I'll keep you posted. Good luck, everybody!

 

[embkm]

Hubby did the chicken chores this morning. We have a little bitty blue (or black) banty baby! I'll get a closer look when I get home and do the afternoon check. Hopefully I'll have pics too.

 

[Tropical Chook]

Congrats on your new arrival. Hope to have some news about mine soon and will keep you all posted.

 

[damselfish]

Well, we have a chick, but it doesn't look too good. One eye was stuck shut but seems better now, and the chick is scooting around on its hocks, not its feet. I will see tonight if I can stretch out its legs a little, while DH is there to hold Red for me.

No sign of life from the other two eggs, but I didn't really expect anything from those. We still plan to get Red some additional babies from a hatchery tomorrow to bring her out of broody trance.

An expensive lesson...

 

[Tropical Chook]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that you only have one, and that that little fuzzy butt isn't doing too well. Hopefully he or she will pull through

I just went out to check on mine and she's still on the eggs unless there's a chick or two under her. I can't really tell and I don't want to disturb her just yet because yesterday and again today, sh hasn't left the nest at all as far as I know. I set the eggs in the nest on Wednesday the 11th, so I take it today is day 21. Either way, I'll leave the eggs with her for a few more days, but if nothing happens by Sunday then I'll crack them open to see what they look like inside. I still have hope though

 

[damselfish]

Well, just an update. We lost the little chick, it was dead, kicked out of the nest, when I got home yesterday afternoon. So sad!

We were not able to get any chicks from the hatchery today either, no leftovers after they filled their orders today. They said to call tomorrow in case they have a few late hatchers.

 

[Tropical Chook]

So sorry to hear that. Do you still have any eggs left?

Apart from my 2 broodies, all the other hens are laying, and that young rooster has just started crowing, or at least, he's trying to crow, so hopefully he can get to work soon. The only problem is that my biggest hen just started laying again so I don't think the young rooster can help just yet. I may go out later in the day in search of a nice big rooster for her. I'll still collect all the other eggs though and then just let her hatch her own. It's easy to tell them apart because she also lays the biggest eggs.

Hope you manage to get a few chicks