Raising Chicks has been a Joy

[Grandmas Coop]

Mamma#1 hatch date June 13th did great over night with being under the nesting box with nesting sutff/fake straw stuff and a roots board. the test will be come flock egg laying time.
Will they the layers stick to the task at hand or hen peck Mamma #1.
They all left the chicks alone yesterday and didn't try and mess with Mamma. Integrating in a small area I feel takes supervision/watchful eye from the human , letting Rooster do his job, let the pecking order take place as long as there is no blood drawn by over aggression, we are the ones that put them in this not natural environment. I try to make them as happy and comfortable as I can and let them work out the politics, but I dont put up with mean birds.

Broody #2 has 3 to 4 days of setting to go Hatch Date 30th/July1st

Broody#3,, I decided it would create a fight if I took 2 of B#2's eggs and gave them to #3--so, I gave #3 3 of the darkest best looking shells. 1 was laid on the 25th and 2 from yesterday the 26th. If I get another very dark hard shelled one today I will give it to her. so she can have 4 eggs. That puts a Hatch date about July 18th I think.

On Sunday my granddaughter 11yr old spent some time in grandmas coop. she has coops at home and DDIL incubated some chicks last month. Anyway she had fun talking to all the hens and, she was so proud of herself, she picked up Mr. Cornelius rooster!! he was very good and just let her hold him and talk to him.
[ did you know they are considered pullets up until they are 1 year old]

BUT THEN~~ later in the afternoon, I took her off te nest to get water ,,, then took Broody !2 out of her pin to eat,drink, ,,, #3 sticks all feathers out- neck feathers up as high as she could get them- head down looking streight at #2 and then~~ she went for the jugular on broody #2, in comes Mr. Cornelius- its a bird fight- #3 was powerfully aggressive-- I am not sure I want her to raise any chicks??

 

[Grandmas Coop]

All well! Broody#2 has 3 of 4 s peeping
the one not peeping is dated the 19th so it’s early,
Mamma#1 has explored the coop with the chicks all the way around the wall but not in front of the door,,, she is creeping that way, but she is not quite yet ready to let them out of the coop


broody #3 is doing fine has her 5 eggs I think it was I for get maybe 6

Coop roof today,, I’ll take pics

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Mamma #1 in the middle Broody with 2 one week old chicks
New Mama #2 on the left-- 3 eggs hatched #4 was a rotten dud-- it stunk so Mamma #2 has 3 chicks

#3 on the right-setting on 6 eggs

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Broody #3 stepped on an egg, so she now has 5,

#1 &2 are under the nesting box / brooder area, when I had DH make it I was hoping that the space would be big enough and it is.

the rest of the 8 hens are doing fine, need a hiney wash- why the get such a poppy backend I dont know- I just hold them- spray it off with the garden hose--

 

[Grandmas Coop]

5 chicks Playing together, younger 3 don’t quite keep up the the 2 week olds.
I put the roost ladder we made last year for the new flock/ adults now,, put it in the coop so the 2wo chicks could figure it out,, and that did , right off the bat,
And they walked back and flew down

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Mamma #2’s 3 and Mamma #1’s 2

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Good Morning and I thank the Lord for aspercream,
I got started in on the herbs at 11 and sat working through it all until 6pm, It was hot out, I tended to the flock as needed and dogs but I grounded myself to the porch until the task was done-all of the paper bags have herbs in them- --



I got everything bagged and set on the woodstove

Some things that weren't 100% dry I left in bowels




And this morning I put the oregano in the oven on Dehydrate-150 degrees

I have a few other I will do this to,

SORRY this is not a very clear pic-- I didnt want to get up and cause it to fly off--
but I just LOVE the yellow finches-- it is setting on top of the hummingbird stand

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Well, More COFFEE and I need to get to task,
Have a great day, get LOTS done today so you can have a smoother weekend.
google pic-American Goldfinch-LOVE-LOVE them

 

[Grandmas Coop]

All is well in chickland!
brood #1 is 2.4 weeks old
and brood #2 is 1.1 week old, that are getting along great, both mammas have a parenting system
Broody hen #3 slept to hard on and egg and broke it, so she is down to 4 eggs from 6

 

[Grandmas Coop]

well the hen sat on 1 & 2 the 27th-- so 21 days is the 18th BUT

I went to the coop right after church and let broody #3 out to drink and poop AND
while she was rolling in the sand I fluffed the nest and put each egg to my ear,, hopeful
AND the egg dated laid on the 27th and sat on the 27th is PEEPING

and shell is cracking