Surprise chicks

[Redhead Rae]

Who’s the father of the chicks?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Your making the wait for my fuzzies unbearable! LOL I love my little banty cochins. I'll see how that statement stands up once I have 3 hens and how broody it gets out there.

 

[markntracy3]

One of my Bantam Cochin/Chocolate Orp girls hid something from me.

View attachment 1684628

Not sure how many babies have or will hatch. My FIL does the morning feed and found this little one.

I don't have any starter on hand, fed it to my main flock after I was done hatching for the year. I guess DH is going to TSC to get chick starter.

lol Nice surprise

 

[Cryss]

Count the little fluffers! I guess I also got more broodies than I originally thought as well.
View attachment 1684727

Oh that's just too adorable!!

View attachment 1684777

Gonna be some pretty babies!

 

[Redhead Rae]

Ok. So I candled the remaining eggs. There were still only 5 babies.

Out of 33 eggs left (which means they were sitting on 38 eggs)

• 2 internally pipped, so I put them back under the hens.

Of the remaining 31

• 3 were obviously bad
• A few more were clear
• ~25 had development
• ~10 of the developed ones were within a week of hatching

I was feeling really bad about my decision to "let them go" but I need to for several reasons

1. I don't have the capacity to manage a staggered hatch right now (5.5 months pregnant)
2. I don't have a brooder set up
3. I don't want to brood inside
4. I'm leaving on Thursday afternoon for a work trip and won't be back until Monday and no one left here knows how to work the incubators, never mind managing a staggered hatch.

So, I've sort of made peace with my decision.

However, my dad wasn't really helpful (FYI, my parents live next door to us). He was asked about how candling works so I took the some of the eggs up to show him. Then when I say I'm not going to hatch them, he says something about not wanting to look at the chicken abortions.


Gee, thanks Dad.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

So you put 2 back? That's still 7 babies you weren't planning!

 

[Redhead Rae]

So you put 2 back? That's still 7 babies you weren't planning!

Yup, but two mama hens should be just fine caring for 5-7 babies.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yup, but two mama hens should be just fine caring for 5-7 babies.

You could have left some that look furthest along and just let the hens do whatever. Sometimes one will stay on eggs while the other tends to new chicks. Sometimes they both get up. But hey, I don’t knock your decision. 33 eggs! Holy cow! Lol

 

[Molpet]

However, my dad wasn't really helpful (FYI, my parents live next door to us). He was asked about how candling works so I took the some of the eggs up to show him. Then when I say I'm not going to hatch them, he says something about not wanting to look at the chicken abortions

sheesh thanks dad
If someone had looked for missing eggs wouldn't be here now... DAD

 

[Redhead Rae]

sheesh thanks dad
If someone had looked for missing eggs wouldn't be here now... DAD

FIL, who lives with us was supposed to be looking for the eggs, not my dad.

Yes, I'm a crazy person. My in-laws live with us and my parents live next door. My son loves it though.