Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

So upset right now

day 20 for Cookie's eggs and I come home from being out all day and she's on the wrong nest

I'm trying to be hopeful but the eggs were cold. I'm thinking that we may have lost them all. I want to candle tonight but they're all dark eggs. How long should I wait for them to hatch to give them a chance before tossing them?
if you weren't 3 1/2 hours away from me, I'd be all over that. That would be such an awesome start for a second coop or even an extention to the one I have

Don't give up hope... Gracie just had a hatch and she spent her entire brood in the main coop in an egg box.... twice she was pushed out by bigger hens and we found her either setting on 1 or 2 eggs in the front corner of the box (evidently she managed to snag a couple in the process of being pushed out) while the rest of her eggs were burried in hay or scattered in the rest of the box by the other hen. Once she was in the wrong box entirely when DH got home from work. Obviously these scenarios, like yours, weren't good for the eggs! On day 15 I found 1 egg which had been partially broken on the air end right at the junction of the membrane to the rest of the egg. Looked like it had been stepped on and a toe went through the egg. I actually just put a cellophane tape patch over it and gave it back to her since I didn't see any blood on it. Well, long story short.... she hatched 6/6 on Thursday night/Friday morning and all are doing well.
I can't promise you that your hatch won't be affected, because obviously there is a chance it was... but I am just letting you know that there is still hope and I wouldn't give up till after day 23 or so. If they are back under her and warmed back up you just never know.

 

[fisherlady]

Gracie's latest bunch....





Edit to add... getting all 6 in a pic at once is next to impossible!! But the little chipmunk is a total ham!

 

[chippysmom327]

Gracie's latest bunch.... Edit to add... getting all 6 in a pic at once is next to impossible!! But the little chipmunk is a total ham!

Wow! How many has she had this year? Does she ever stop?

How many broodies have you had in 2014?

 

[fisherlady]

Wow! How many has she had this year? Does she ever stop?

How many broodies have you had in 2014?

Gracie hatched Dec 1, 2013... and this is her third hatch for 2014. She is a perpetual broody... and an awesome mama... so I don't see her quitting anytime soon!

So far this year I think we are at about 28, I quit counting a while back so would have to check the calendar to get an exact count. And yesterday another of our Silver Pencil Rocks went into a box an is looking like she is going to stick for her 2nd hatch of the year. That means all 5 of the SPRs have at least 2 broods this year and one had 3.... I caught another SPR in the box today doing the pancake thing but pitched her out into the yard and told her enough is enough!! LOL... but somehow I don't think it will be that easy!
If the 2nd SPR does go broody I will just let them share an area so they hatch together. The SPRs have been awesome about sharing hatches and chicks and it makes it easier for everyone when they do that.

 

[chippysmom327]

Wow! How many has she had this year? Does she ever stop?

How many broodies have you had in 2014?

Gracie hatched Dec 1, 2013... and this is her third hatch for 2014.  She is a perpetual broody... and an awesome mama... so I don't see her quitting anytime soon!

So far this year I think we are at about 28, I quit counting a while back so would have to check the calendar to get an exact count.  And yesterday another of our Silver Pencil Rocks went into a box an is looking like she is going to stick for her 2nd hatch of the year.  That means all 5 of the SPRs have at least 2 broods this year and one had 3.... I caught another SPR in the box today doing the pancake thing but pitched her out into the yard and told her enough is enough!! LOL... but somehow I don't think it will be that easy!
 If the 2nd SPR does go broody I will just let them share an area so they hatch together. The SPRs have been awesome about sharing hatches and chicks and it makes it easier for everyone when they do that.

Wow! 28! I've had two broodies in my 3 and a half years of chickening. Only had one raise babies (this summer). Realllly hoping one of my calls goes broody next year but I doubt it. They're only 3 months old now.

 

[chiques chicks]

So upset right now day 20 for Cookie's eggs and I come home from being out all day and she's on the wrong nest I'm trying to be hopeful but the eggs were cold. I'm thinking that we may have lost them all. I want to candle tonight but they're all dark eggs. How long should I wait for them to hatch to give them a chance before tossing them?
if you weren't 3 1/2 hours away from me, I'd be all over that. That would be such an awesome start for a second coop or even an extention to the one I have

All three of my broodies that hatched in the last week or so we're in main coops. One was a silkie in with a bunch of lf. The other coop had the or four broodies sharing two nests. I got 13 chicks. It is amazing what they can go through and make it. Don't give up hope!

I don't even try to count days with broodies, they seem to have their own schedule.

 

[dheltzel]

Collegeville pa here

Welcome from Pottstown - just down the road . . .

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Collegeville pa here

Hello & Welcome

**Blarney- Awesome coop!! As if anything touched by those Irish hands wouldn't come out looking great

!!

**Wing & whoever else involved in the paraffin dip conversation..."Sally's" beauty supply has it, i think in different scents too...and Walmart did have some..has been awhile since i have even had to look....I used to have a paraffin dip machine in my salon..it is so nice and makes your aching hands feel so much better

..
if you do happen to have a beautician license, there is also "Cosmo Prof", but you do need a license to get in...they have an awesome assortment of waxes.

**Stake..I would LOVE to get my hands on some of those, but like Auroradream..unfortunately i am a longgg ways away...

..total bummer!

I went to close everyone up tonight and just out of curiosity..wanted to see where everyone was sleeping...well, Ginger & Cordon are laying in the nest boxes with the babies, who are now almost 12 weeks(Wednesday)..the "babies " are sitting on their "moms"...

crazy birds...maybe they are cold?...

Also...this is a little bit worry-some...we have found coyote scat at the side of the chicken shed...so, they..or it have been here, but have not.. as of yet..caused any issue for us.

We are holding hope that it has found "greener" pastures to live or someone around here has finally caught this thing.
It has taken out over 20 chickens from my neighbor on the hill and two of her ducks, they have taken shots, but have missed....,has attacked a small dog in this neighborhood..and just has been an all around menace.....really need to get this animal.."under-control"....so to speak. Not going outside with "protection", especially now that the grand daughter is here so much!
Hope all and theirs are well and warm tonight! Today was the first day we turned on the propane heater...a very real bummer!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Don't give up hope... Gracie just had a hatch and she spent her entire brood in the main coop in an egg box.... twice she was pushed out by bigger hens and we found her either setting on 1 or 2 eggs in the front corner of the box (evidently she managed to snag a couple in the process of being pushed out) while the rest of her eggs were burried in hay or scattered in the rest of the box by the other hen. Once she was in the wrong box entirely when DH got home from work. Obviously these scenarios, like yours, weren't good for the eggs! On day 15 I found 1 egg which had been partially broken on the air end right at the junction of the membrane to the rest of the egg. Looked like it had been stepped on and a toe went through the egg. I actually just put a cellophane tape patch over it and gave it back to her since I didn't see any blood on it. Well, long story short.... she hatched 6/6 on Thursday night/Friday morning and all are doing well.
I can't promise you that your hatch won't be affected, because obviously there is a chance it was... but I am just letting you know that there is still hope and I wouldn't give up till after day 23 or so. If they are back under her and warmed back up you just never know.

they are so amazing!! it is really something how much an egg can take and still make a viable-healthy chick!!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Go get him, sounds perfect for you...when you have a bad day at work, you can go out and butt heads with him.