The chicken won.

[bobbi-j]

Candled all the dingbat's eggs tonight. Couldn't see anything, but I was using a flashlight and she was just set on Friday, so there may not be any clear development anyway. I did accidentally crack one (a light blue one, darn it!) so I opened it up. Yolk was scrambled, but I thought I saw some faint veining. I also candled 6 of the Buckeye's 12 eggs. Some appeared to have development, some I was not sure. They were pretty dirty, but I didn't want to disturb her further. She was not amused by my presence.

 

[bobbi-j]

Update - Got back from our trip yesterday. The Buckeye eggs are showing no signs preparing to hatch. Not hearing any peeping, no pips or anything. I'm really hoping for some to hatch, since something came through on Monday and took my rooster and 3 or 4 hens. The Wellie has some extra eggs in her nest that will be disposed of when I get time. She's due to hatch sometime around Friday. I'm giving the Buckeye until Sat. and the other one a few days after that.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

I been waiting to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear that about your rooster. I hope you get some chicks. There was a cool front that came through the last few days that made it really nice around here.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Update - Got back from our trip yesterday. The Buckeye eggs are showing no signs preparing to hatch. Not hearing any peeping, no pips or anything. I'm really hoping for some to hatch, since something came through on Monday and took my rooster and 3 or 4 hens. The Wellie has some extra eggs in her nest that will be disposed of when I get time. She's due to hatch sometime around Friday. I'm giving the Buckeye until Sat. and the other one a few days after that.

Hope you get something hatched out!
So sorry to hear of your losses-- we lost 5 out of 6 ourselves (my fault really I took out the 5 unhatched eggs day 25-- the lone chick hatched day23 so it was sorta late to begin with)-- and my dogs ate the eggs!They do their job and protect against predators,...but sometimes they are the ones to watch out for)....

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks, cookfamilyfarm and CAjerseychick. Sat. will be day 25 for my Buckeye - I think that's plenty of time to give her. Not sure how much time I'll give the dingbat to hatch out. I think one of the remaining juveniles that hatched in May is a cockerel. I hope so! I don't want to have to go rooster hunting in the spring.

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, the score so far is - Buckeye (who has sat faithfully since the first moment I put her on the nest) 0/12. Dingbat (who jumped ship at least twice until she finally got her way) 2/12. So, tonight or tomorrow night I'm going to give one of them to the Buckeye and take her now starting to stink eggs. I have a couple of friends with chickens, so I'm going to check with them to see if there might be a chance they have babies to get rid of, or know of someone who does. If not, it is what it is.

 

[bobbi-j]

The dingbat is officially done setting today. I looked at all of her eggs and saw no pips, zips, cracks or any other sign of life, so I took her eggs and took her and baby (I gave the other baby to the Buckeye last night) out of the nest box. Now the two hens are sharing the "nursery coop". I put a barrier between them, though, because I didn't know how it would go putting them together. I've read that that doesn't always work. I was going to let the dingbat raise her baby with the flock, but... chickened out! We have a feral barn cat that I'm afraid would grab it. Thus ends the saga of the stubborn chicken.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

Well , Its definitely been an interesting story. How are the baby chicks doing lately?

 

[bobbi-j]

They're doing just fine. I had the two hens and chicks in the same coop, but with a divider between them. Checked on them today and found all 4 together without any problem so I took the divider out so they all have more room.

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, we're two weeks in, and both chicks are still alive. The two hens and chicks were put together the other day, and they are getting along just fine, sharing chick-raising duties. The Buckeye is by far a better parent. The dingbat has started roosting in the rafters (about 7' up) at night, leaving her baby to go under the Buckeye for warmth. It's been getting down to the 50's at night, so they still do need the heat. But during the day, the dingbat is very attentive to her baby. They went out in the run today, and both mothers were happily dustbathing and showing their babies how to do it.