Peeps in Europe!

[Erba]

I only hatched 8 heathy chicks in July, one I had to cull or it would have been 9. One of my young roosters, popped his socks in July and i also had a fox visit, I heard the commotion and ran out and chased it away, but not before he had killed two hens. Didn't get to take any away, so hope that deters it from coming back. So my flock has shrunk to 11 adults, but one of the young roosters has a duck tail, so he's marked for roasting.

I've got another 26 eggs incubating and I am glad I collected them now. Last time I candled they were all developing, but early days still.

 

[BDutch]

Sorry for you’re losses Erba. But I wouldn’t count on the fox not returning. After a fox visited my chickens I bought 1 * 10 meter aviary HWC to cover some of the netting.

 

[chickengr]

foxes always come back. I leave one of my dogs in chicken's run and it still barks at around 1-2 am facing side fox came from.

sorry for your loss @Erba

 

[Erba]

My run is fox proof, it got them free ranging, just before dusk. Now I'm keeping my dog out there with them, when I let them out.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

So happy we also successfully broke the broodiness of the other hen, now the entire flock is back to normal

 

[LoreWalker]

More broody news! My wyandotte bantam Kaatje has been sitting on her eggs very dutifully.
The eggs are 6(/7)-10 days "old" and I candled all 5 eggs tonight. I am not experienced at candling eggs by any means, but I do think all the eggs may be developing! It was too dark for pictures, sadly, and we didn't want to disturb Kaatje too much so it was just a quick peek.

Not sure if it would be ok to candle her eggs again in a week or so, or if it's better to just let her do her thing and see what happens! I hope she'll sit on her eggs long enough to hatch all of them despite the difference of about 4 days between having been put under her...
She's outside in our shed, in a crate covered on 3 sides by a fleece blanket to prevent drafts. And we don't have an incubator! (We could attempt to put any unhatched eggs under a red lamp or the heating plate, inside, though)

Four of the eggs belong to our barnevelder cross Emmy (the black hen) and the 5th belongs to either Babs, Hennie (the other 2 in the picture) or Kaatje's sister, Trui.


The father is our handsome boy Duts, so regardless, I'm excited to see what these chicks will end up looking like!

 

[BDutch]

im curious how this hatch will go. Good luck!

After 5 days - a week you can candle again.

If the difference in hatching date is 4 days, chances are big the broody leaves the nest before all the chicks hatch. I would buy a small incubator in case she does leave the nest with the hatched chicks while some eggs are still alive. .So it's just for the last days when hear chicks peep in the left eggs.

What other broody-experienced members say; it oftens works if you add the younger incubator chicks that hatch later in the night . Check early morning at sunrise if she has accepted them.

 

[BDutch]

How are you doing with all the heat and the fires @chickengr ?

 

[chickengr]

How are you doing with all the heat and the fires @chickengr ?

thank you for asking. sitting on the porch at 6 am as it is impossible to stay inside. I don't have air condition as I cannot stand it (makes me more sick than heat). we usually have one 7-10 days heat wave, rarely 2 but this summer it has been 3rd prolonged (10+ days) heat wave. luckily I lost only 1 pullet that had health issues anyway. my tom turkey comes near me when I fill watereres and I shower him. he stands still as if he was a duck or goose, lol.

 

[Erba]

I have only 8 chcikens left now, so they are staying in the run and coop. Weather is shit, so they are fine staying in. Luckily I still have three breeding hens. And the two good roosters. 8 heathy chicks in the brooder at the moment and altogether 26 eggs still to hatch. I am now so thankful that I collected the eggs, when i did. Nature is a bummer....