Yep, Frieda's a good broody--the one batch that has been successful, she mothered until I sold them to the feed store at 12 weeks (because we were heading out of town, and I didn't want to make the petsitters deal with it if they started crowing). Heck, if I leave my hand under her after pulling the infertile eggs the others have laid, she settles in to hatch my hand
OK, the awful-'cause-the-bad-stuff-was-all-my-fault broody story...
After Frieda did so well with the free barnyard mix eggs (that turned out to be red and black sex links, which threw me 'cause the chicken calculator said that every possible combo with my friend's barred rock rooster and her hens would make barred chicks, though if the moms had been BRs, and the dads were what the moms were, then I would've expected it and known a lot earlier that I had all boys (I bet the egg that broke was a girl...)) I happily started arranging with ronott for Arkansas Blue Layer eggs when/if Frieda went broody again. I want blue eggs, but don't really like beards, muffs, ear tufts, or crests (yes, I'm weird--I prefer clean-faced chickens). His hens had been laying well all winter, so it was basically a matter of waiting on Frieda. Guess whose hens started a laying break just as she went broody? Though the break was more of a hind-sight realization... By the time enough eggs were gathered to be worth sending, and I received them, Frieda had been sitting for nearly a month. If I hadn't been so picky (and had such a low budget--if I had more funds available 'twould be much easier), I could've gotten eggs elsewhere when it turned out Ron's hens weren't cooperating with our plans. When the eggs arrived, the mailman found that the box fit into the mailbox so long as it was forced sideways--I had a hard time getting it out (and had been expecting a knock on the door...). So next time, I'll have (am having) eggs delivered to the PO box--that one's just the normal little letter box size. The eggs were well packed and the box itself looked good, but the air cells were detached and an egg was broken. If Frieda hadn't been sitting so long already, I probably would've let the eggs sit for a few days to see if the cells would reattach.
I gave Frieda the eggs, and she settled right down on them. It's really easy to take the extra eggs when no one in the flock lays eggs the same color as the fertile onesI did start seeing her off the nest more, but she'd get back on, and I thought my times outside were just coinciding with food-and-poo breaks. I pulled the eggs on the night of day 10 to check for clears, and then gave them all back, just like I had the first time Frieda was broody. The next morning, when I went out to open up the coop and feed everyone, Frieda was off the nest. I didn't think anything of it, although I did feel the eggs, and they were cold (it was around 7:30). I had to get the girls ready for school, and go to work later myself. When I went to get the eggs after work, around 2:30ish, Frieda was out and about, and the eggs were cold. I wasn't sure if she was up again or still, but I was leaning towards still... I don't have an incubator--that's what broodies are for! And even if I had the money to buy one, the feed store was closed before I realized I needed an incubator ASAP. I posted to several places on Facebook trying to borrow an incubator, but no luck. It was suggested I call the Ag office, which closes at noon. So, the next morning, I did, and they let me borrow one, even though neither of the girls is in 4H. 'Twas a Hovabator 1558, so a forced-air. There was an old-school red-bulb thermometer with it, but no way to measure humidity. By the time I was able to get the eggs in, after stabilizing the incubator (with an unverified thermometer
) it was around 9ish pm. The eggs had been cold for around 40 hours.
Candling a few days later revealed no air cell growth, so I'd had the humidity too high, since I couldn't measure it. Running it dry did help with the growth, but I wasn't really seeing anything other than air cells--some faint veins in one or two eggs, but that's it. However, thick blue shells weren't helping in that regard.
I added 2 days to the incubation times, to make up for nearly 2 days cold. By day 23 of the recalculated incubation (day 25 using the original dates), I gave up. No pips, unsuccessful water candling, I was done. I started to eggtopsy the most promising looking egg, but all I saw was darkness and sloshiness--I couldn't bring myself to tear into the membrane, in fear of stinkiness (I'd had to toss some seepers).
Since everyone was disappointed, I got some chicks at the feed store to sell later (and, had the one egg that showed any promise hatched the chick would've needed friends anyway). I moved the chicks and their heating pad brooding plate out to the coop in their own covered pen about 4 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago, give or take, Frieda went broody again. Coincidence?
Some things have fallen through this time around, too, so I just hope that I'm not scrambling around trying to find an incubator on short notice again. The eggs have been shipped today, but the tracking hasn't updated to the point that I have an estimated arrival date yet. If it looks iffy, I think I'll try setting up my heating pad (which I didn't have before I needed a brooder) like Beekissed's heating pad incubator, just in case...
LOL Thanks!
I don't mind the muffs and beard, They add flair. But I am not a lover of tufts! Not at all...lolYep, Frieda's a good broody--the one batch that has been successful, she mothered until I sold them to the feed store at 12 weeks (because we were heading out of town, and I didn't want to make the petsitters deal with it if they started crowing). Heck, if I leave my hand under her after pulling the infertile eggs the others have laid, she settles in to hatch my hand
OK, the awful-'cause-the-bad-stuff-was-all-my-fault broody story...
After Frieda did so well with the free barnyard mix eggs (that turned out to be red and black sex links, which threw me 'cause the chicken calculator said that every possible combo with my friend's barred rock rooster and her hens would make barred chicks, though if the moms had been BRs, and the dads were what the moms were, then I would've expected it and known a lot earlier that I had all boys (I bet the egg that broke was a girl...)) I happily started arranging with ronott for Arkansas Blue Layer eggs when/if Frieda went broody again. I want blue eggs, but don't really like beards, muffs, ear tufts, or crests (yes, I'm weird--I prefer clean-faced chickens). His hens had been laying well all winter, so it was basically a matter of waiting on Frieda. Guess whose hens started a laying break just as she went broody? Though the break was more of a hind-sight realization... By the time enough eggs were gathered to be worth sending, and I received them, Frieda had been sitting for nearly a month. If I hadn't been so picky (and had such a low budget--if I had more funds available 'twould be much easier), I could've gotten eggs elsewhere when it turned out Ron's hens weren't cooperating with our plans. When the eggs arrived, the mailman found that the box fit into the mailbox so long as it was forced sideways--I had a hard time getting it out (and had been expecting a knock on the door...). So next time, I'll have (am having) eggs delivered to the PO box--that one's just the normal little letter box size. The eggs were well packed and the box itself looked good, but the air cells were detached and an egg was broken. If Frieda hadn't been sitting so long already, I probably would've let the eggs sit for a few days to see if the cells would reattach.
I gave Frieda the eggs, and she settled right down on them. It's really easy to take the extra eggs when no one in the flock lays eggs the same color as the fertile onesI did start seeing her off the nest more, but she'd get back on, and I thought my times outside were just coinciding with food-and-poo breaks. I pulled the eggs on the night of day 10 to check for clears, and then gave them all back, just like I had the first time Frieda was broody. The next morning, when I went out to open up the coop and feed everyone, Frieda was off the nest. I didn't think anything of it, although I did feel the eggs, and they were cold (it was around 7:30). I had to get the girls ready for school, and go to work later myself. When I went to get the eggs after work, around 2:30ish, Frieda was out and about, and the eggs were cold. I wasn't sure if she was up again or still, but I was leaning towards still... I don't have an incubator--that's what broodies are for! And even if I had the money to buy one, the feed store was closed before I realized I needed an incubator ASAP. I posted to several places on Facebook trying to borrow an incubator, but no luck. It was suggested I call the Ag office, which closes at noon. So, the next morning, I did, and they let me borrow one, even though neither of the girls is in 4H. 'Twas a Hovabator 1558, so a forced-air. There was an old-school red-bulb thermometer with it, but no way to measure humidity. By the time I was able to get the eggs in, after stabilizing the incubator (with an unverified thermometer) it was around 9ish pm. The eggs had been cold for around 40 hours.
Candling a few days later revealed no air cell growth, so I'd had the humidity too high, since I couldn't measure it. Running it dry did help with the growth, but I wasn't really seeing anything other than air cells--some faint veins in one or two eggs, but that's it. However, thick blue shells weren't helping in that regard.
I added 2 days to the incubation times, to make up for nearly 2 days cold. By day 23 of the recalculated incubation (day 25 using the original dates), I gave up. No pips, unsuccessful water candling, I was done. I started to eggtopsy the most promising looking egg, but all I saw was darkness and sloshiness--I couldn't bring myself to tear into the membrane, in fear of stinkiness (I'd had to toss some seepers).
Since everyone was disappointed, I got some chicks at the feed store to sell later (and, had the one egg that showed any promise hatched the chick would've needed friends anyway). I moved the chicks and their heating pad brooding plate out to the coop in their own covered pen about 4 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago, give or take, Frieda went broody again. Coincidence?
Some things have fallen through this time around, too, so I just hope that I'm not scrambling around trying to find an incubator on short notice again. The eggs have been shipped today, but the tracking hasn't updated to the point that I have an estimated arrival date yet. If it looks iffy, I think I'll try setting up my heating pad (which I didn't have before I needed a brooder) like Beekissed's heating pad incubator, just in case...
Good luck!Wow! Good luck with Frieda this time around!
-------------
My little divider contraption didn't help in my incubator. It was an inch or so below the top screen and I have no way to turn off the fan, so it circulated the humidity anyway. So I took the divider out and plugged my turner back in. I did shift sides with all the eggs though. Moved the ones that need more humidity to the back, and brought the others to the front. And inserted a piece of sponge in the back area. Now I'm going to leave it alone until lockdown on Friday.
This is going to feel so good!
This is going to feel so good!
I actually have a minimum of 62 good reasons, and since I need to justify myself to you,, I will explain
Pen 1: Cuckoo marans
1 rooster over 7 hens
Pen 2: White crested black polish
1 rooster over 6 hens + six broody chicks
Pen 3: Booted bantam/ d'uccle (not SQ, but bearded, so they are d'uccle)
1 rooster over 8 hens
Pen 4: White silkies
1 rooster over 7 hens + 8 broody chicks
Pen 5: Black copper marans
1 rooster over 7 hens
Pen 6: Easter Eggers
1 rooster over 6 hens
Pen 7: Girls only (The retirement home for my original flock of layers only)
2 barred rock
2 speckled sussex
4 Easter eggers
3 Production reds
4 black sex links
I leave for work at 7:30AM and get home between 7:00-8:00PM. All 7 of these pens have to be fed and watered, coops have to be built, fences have to be mended, grass has to be cut, garden has to be tended, etc... I have about 1.5 hours of daylight in the summertime, and do most of it in the dark in the winter. Broody chicks are bonus chicks. I incubate what I want to sell, and if a broody happens to sit, I let her. My cuckoo marans, silkies, and d'uccle will all go broody from time to time. I collect all LF eggs every day. I mix the fertile eggs with the girls-only eggs and sell them as eating eggs. I collect the bantams every Sunday. If one is setting, I leave them, and they hatch at 85+ percent every time. Silkies are like dominoes, once one sits, a couple more will follow, and more often than not I will end up with 2 in the same nest. Usually one hen will jump out with the first hatchers, and the second will stay until the hatch is complete. I've never been left with more than 2 unhatched eggs. The d'uccle do the exact same thing. I had the first silkie come off a nest Saturday with 6 chicks. The second stayed on, and as of last night had 4 chicks and 2 remaining eggs under her. If they hatch, good, if they don't, no loss. I also have a d'uccle that has been sitting for somewhere between 1 and 2 weeks. One day she will surprise me with her new babies. I call these bonus chicks, because I have absolutely zero time invested in them. Mommy did all the work, she gets the reward of having babies to play with, and I get the enjoyment of watching a mama with her babies. I don't have time to keep up with every hen that is sitting, and every egg that is laid.
