Don't worry about the chicks having food for the first day or two- they absorb their yolk and are fine without food for a short time. Do you have a separate pen? Like a little rabbit hutch or something? We always use a little rabbit hutch for our broodies to raise their chicks in, so I don't really know what to do if it's just the coop. And electrical traps work great on mice! Instant death, just tip the mouse out and put a little more food in. Sorted our mouse problem!
And lockdown is generally more for incubators than broody hens- its the term for the days until hatching (around day 18 if I remember right) where you don't touch or turn the eggs or open the incubator because they're getting ready to hatch.
Sadly it looks like 3 is the amount of chicks we'll be having this time around. I removed the known bad egg, and candled the other three. The silkie cross egg stopped developing around week 1 it seems, the second egg was slipped in by a sneaky hen at some point in the past few days, and the third egg had somehow slipped it's air cell to the side, so the chick inside had no chance ):
I have no idea when the air cell slippage happened- I didn't even know air cells could slip in eggs under a broody! It must have happened at some point in the past few days, since I candeled them a few days ago and everything seemed fine. I might try to bring myself to perform an eggtopsy on it, but I'll probably leave it. I can't learn anything from it, and it'll just make me upset ):
On a more positive note though, I got close ups of the new babies today! First born was Wax, the little cracked shell baby! Second born was this little guy! His face pattern is adorable, it makes him look shocked all the time
And third born was this girlie. I think she might have some silkie in her somewhere because her little comb is all black! (But most likely not!)
Whew, this certainly was a stressful month! Now these guys are out though, I can start concentrating on my exams. Hopefully there'll be another broody available by the time they're finished!
I have been watching Craigslist for the last three days and the only chicks are the age of my last hatch at about 4 weeks old.
I am trying to teach her to eat and drink and it hasn't been going too well. I try "pecking" with my fingernail. No luck with chick starter, oatmeal, or egg yolk (boiled). Her older sibling go crazy for egg yolk. I get a drop of water and wet her beak. Man I don't want to lose this chick!!!
I have been watching Craigslist for the last three days and the only chicks are the age of my last hatch at about 4 weeks old.
I am trying to teach her to eat and drink and it hasn't been going too well. I try "pecking" with my fingernail. No luck with chick starter, oatmeal, or egg yolk (boiled). Her older sibling go crazy for egg yolk. I get a drop of water and wet her beak. Man I don't want to lose this chick!!!
Maybe you can go to Ideal Poultry and pick up a chick or two to raise with her. Or have a few shipped in. Anyone around you have any button quail chicks maybe?
I have been watching Craigslist for the last three days and the only chicks are the age of my last hatch at about 4 weeks old.
I am trying to teach her to eat and drink and it hasn't been going too well. I try "pecking" with my fingernail. No luck with chick starter, oatmeal, or egg yolk (boiled). Her older sibling go crazy for egg yolk. I get a drop of water and wet her beak. Man I don't want to lose this chick!!!
I thought they were high too, but if they are good stuff I wouldn't mind paying that though. Their babies are 6 to 10 weeks old I think the ad said and my other babies are younger than that. I think I had a brainstorm. One of our feedstores around here has year round chicks that come from Ideal. I think I will go see if they have any bantams. They will be young and small enough to be a good companion.
Thanks, if you were closer I would probably do it too!!!
I thought they were high too, but if they are good stuff I wouldn't mind paying that though. Their babies are 6 to 10 weeks old I think the ad said and my other babies are younger than that. I think I had a brainstorm. One of our feedstores around here has year round chicks that come from Ideal. I think I will go see if they have any bantams. They will be young and small enough to be a good companion.
Congrats on the new baby chicks everyone! I'm trying to catch up. I went into lock down, hope to have at least 2 chicks tomorrow. Most of the eggs I got from my pet chicken were not fertile. I locked down 6 eggs out of 18, but think only 2 may make it. All shipped eggs. I am normally 75-90% hatch rate with local eggs...think I may give up on the shipped eggs. They are so disappointing. AND to top it off, I am having issues with the new incubator getting past 60 humidity. Get the feeling this is going to be disastrous hatch.
Fur n feather sorry to hear only one hatch, still very adorable love the teacup 
