South Carolina

[Joycats]

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It's been my experience that the buff orps make excellent mothers. Watch for babies in about 18 days if she's already been sitting for 3 days. Where is she sitting, is it inside the coop? If she's not in a safe place for her or the babies you could possibly move her. I sometimes use plastic dog crates as temporary housing for broody hens. If you choose to move her, do it at night and be very fast. It helps to have someone grab the eggs after you pick her up so you can sit her right back down on her eggs in the new nest. Leave her in the dark and she's more likely to stay. I always go back a few minutes later to check and see if they're sitting or pacing. That's a risk, so I only move the ones that are not in a safe place for the chicks. You could let her hatch and take the chicks but I think the chicks are healthier and safer if they have a mama hen to watch out for them. Just be aware that the chicks are small enough to pop right thru chicken wire the first week or so. Good luck, keep us posted!

Also meant to say that I'm still pulling for PumPum, hoping she will improve. Maybe she's just tired of this heat and she's hoping to get moved back into the A/C.

 

[Moonchild]

Quote:
It's been my experience that the buff orps make excellent mothers. Watch for babies in about 18 days if she's already been sitting for 3 days. Where is she sitting, is it inside the coop? If she's not in a safe place for her or the babies you could possibly move her. I sometimes use plastic dog crates as temporary housing for broody hens. If you choose to move her, do it at night and be very fast. It helps to have someone grab the eggs after you pick her up so you can sit her right back down on her eggs in the new nest. Leave her in the dark and she's more likely to stay. I always go back a few minutes later to check and see if they're sitting or pacing. That's a risk, so I only move the ones that are not in a safe place for the chicks. You could let her hatch and take the chicks but I think the chicks are healthier and safer if they have a mama hen to watch out for them. Just be aware that the chicks are small enough to pop right thru chicken wire the first week or so. Good luck, keep us posted!

Also meant to say that I'm still pulling for PumPum, hoping she will improve. Maybe she's just tired of this heat and she's hoping to get moved back into the A/C.

Thanks JoyCats, but the Broody Buff is inside the coop but not in a nestbox. oh and the coop is tripled wired. First time chicken owner. Was scared of night attacks only bears can get in...maybe!!!

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
It's been my experience that the buff orps make excellent mothers. Watch for babies in about 18 days if she's already been sitting for 3 days. Where is she sitting, is it inside the coop? If she's not in a safe place for her or the babies you could possibly move her. I sometimes use plastic dog crates as temporary housing for broody hens. If you choose to move her, do it at night and be very fast. It helps to have someone grab the eggs after you pick her up so you can sit her right back down on her eggs in the new nest. Leave her in the dark and she's more likely to stay. I always go back a few minutes later to check and see if they're sitting or pacing. That's a risk, so I only move the ones that are not in a safe place for the chicks. You could let her hatch and take the chicks but I think the chicks are healthier and safer if they have a mama hen to watch out for them. Just be aware that the chicks are small enough to pop right thru chicken wire the first week or so. Good luck, keep us posted!

Also meant to say that I'm still pulling for PumPum, hoping she will improve. Maybe she's just tired of this heat and she's hoping to get moved back into the A/C.

Thanks JoyCats, but the Broody Buff is inside the coop but not in a nestbox. oh and the coop is tripled wired. First time chicken owner. Was scared of night attacks only bears can get in...maybe!!!

I'd say she's fine right where she is then!

But still watch those chicks when they hatch, you might be surprised how easily they can get out. I've had chicks pop thru 1/2 x 1/2 hardware cloth. The hen will call them and keep them close but if the chicks get out and can't get back in that is when the problems happen. You're gonna love this, it's a blast to see the hens with their babies. Also make sure you have a chick feeder and drinker available when the chicks hatch and you'll need to make sure there isn't any kind of drinker the babies could drown in. Plenty of time for childproofing the coop.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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Oh, how wonderful for you!
First, go mark those eggs! Others will add to the nest and she is liable to get up with the first chicks and leave the other half developed eggs to die. I put a big X on the side or end with a pencil. I use magic marker on duck eggs with no problem but haven't on chicken eggs, though I have heard many say it isn't an issue.
Now, you can check her nest every day for any unmarked eggs and remove those.

I also have made a little cage around the nest with just enough room for her to get up and get a bit of food and water and make her stinky poo. If I am down there when she comes off the nest for her break then I open the cage and let her out to stretch but others usually pick on the broody so she doesn't stay out long.
I have dog X-pens that have come in handy for times like these and my dear friend Nella Bean has made panels from 2x2's and wire so something like that can be used. I keep saying I am going to make panels out of PVC and poultry wire for such times but that is one of those "round to it's" I never seem to get to.

Like Joy says, expect them in 18 days. You don;t have any bantams laying so they should take 21 days to hatch but I had one in the bator that hatched the other day at 17 days. Crazy 'bator! Mama hens are better regulators.

Rarely have I had a roo hurt a chick. When I did he was not the daddy and just wanted the chick away from him, not aggressive mean type of thing. I think your only problem will be big feet stepping on little kids but within a week they won't be so little and there won;t be any worries. I am like joy, I would rather leave them for the mama to care for. Though things can happen out there, too. I lost a Cowboy baby and I think rats get them. If it was snakes then the eggs would be gone (That just happened in my Muscovy coop!Went from 11 down to 7 and then down to 5 within a few days!) My cats camp out at the coop where they hatched but the dog keeps the cats run off because she doesn't want the cats to get the chicks, I suppose. Knowing Jolie, she just likes to chase the cats! I have sulfur down around that coop, too so I think rats.

Glad to hear PumPum is doing okay. You may need to give her a hair bow so she can see. She may not want to walk because she can't see past her 'do! Giving her some iron? It helps after a battle with parasites. And B vitamins are good to add in this heat. Will she eat tomatoes and cucumbers? Less fiber than watermelon and cantaloup but still juicy and full of nutrients.

Well, that is all my suggestions for now. Sometimes I am just full of ideas and other times not so much.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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They are so adorable....er, the one left is adorable. I suppose I need to take it away if the rats are going to get them. I can't find the other one so I assume that is what happened. It happened to some Sizzle chicks in that same coop back in the spring. Rather, they disappeared without a trace and I know the cats lay on top of the coop a lot and peer underneath it some.

The hens Cowboy is in with (I sold about 6 dark he had in there) are out of Wizard and Dan the Man and they carry blue so I am getting blue chicks. They are sitting on about 10 more eggs but they are pullets and often do not cover them well.

I prefer they raise them up in that pen but haven't any idea how to keep the rats out. One of the tom cats has slept in there with them on occasion and I find evidence of him catching creatures during the night but I worry he will hurt the chicks, too while catching the rats. He has never offered to hurt a chick but if I rat runs under a hen then he may go after it with a paw and get a chick. Still, it may be worth a try to have him sleep in there with them again.
The first morning I opened the coop and the chickens came out with the cat I was startled but since then I have gotten used to the cats all around the chickens. They are good on their jobs like Jolie on hers. I suppose they want to earn their keep to stop me from taking them to the shelter.

I will try to get photos today, Miss Janelle, so you can ooohhhh and aaaahhhh over what pretty kids they are and know you gave up one very fine rooster! I love him but he only tolerates me. At first he was an ankle biter but since I picked him up and gave him kisses and hugs every time he has stopped that nonsense. That loving crap got on his nerves. Oh yeah!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Newbie here. New to Midlands SC...

 

[gavinandallison]

My silkie hen - Sheba - hatched out a silkie and 2 Barred Rocks. We left her to fend for them, and along with Henry our silkie roo, they were perfectly safe from any predators. The silkie chick still slepps with momma hen at night, the Barred Rocks sleep with the other silkies.......

 

[emptynester]

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Hello! and

!! We are happy to have ya! Chickens are such fun, and we have a blast talking about them. The folks around here are super friendly and I know I started with no chicken knowledge whatsoever. So pull up a chair, jump on in, ask questions, post pictures, share stories!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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And welcome to our SC thread!

We chat quite a lot on here and share the joys and woes of our lives and chicken raising.
Feel free to share photos (after you have a few more posts under your belt), ask questions and tell us what is happening on your place. If you grow a garden, we talk about that, too.
We seem to be a big happy family!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Gavin and Allison,
Was it anywhere near this hot and humid where you all grew up? I picture where you all grew up to be cool green hillsides.

I was born and raised right here and barely tolerate this now so I figure non natives like you guys really hate this.
However, when I was growing up it was never this bad that I remember and we never had AC. Maybe the AC is what has spoiled me these last 15 years. As I have matured and put on a "few" pounds it sure seems hotter. My neighbor that is 75 said it just seems hotter. He remembers it being in the 90's when he plowed the fields with a mule. Once lunch time came he had to stop for a few hours of rest and finish it in the afternoon but to me the afternoons are worse than mid day.