The first try (for the chooks)

Ons3Saam

Chirping
Feb 22, 2022
38
179
69
G'day mates.

Seven weeks ago we bought a "breeding trio" of Wyandottes from a local heritage breeder that's closing down his business.
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From day one the two girls laid an egg per day, almost religiously. Then I let them fill a nest to see what happens.

When they reached 20 eggs, (an even split between the two hens. One hen lays white eggs and one off-white. Haven't discovered who is who yet) Milly decided to go broody and sit on them. I didn't ask, but I don't think these girls have ever hatched eggs themselves so I decided to let her sit and see what happens.

Milly was fully in her trance, and as it might be her first time ever, I didn't disturb her at all. I saw her come out for food on about day eight for the first time, and only from a distance. She was not being very nice to Molly and Ricky. Probably angry that they ate all the fresh food without her. I started feeding greens and fresh food only at noon so there would be food when she emerges from the fog of the broody. Never saw her out again after this.

On day 18 Molly joined her on the nest without a fight. They divvied the eggs straight down the middle, and because they didn't pay attention in school, the one had nine eggs and the other had 14? Still no fighting.
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On day 20 there was a "cheep cheep" when I had a sticky beak and when I opened the door, a very curious little head popped out from under a wing. On day 22, another two heads. The first chookling was already running around, and both moms tried to shield and protect the babies. As they weren't emerging for food and water yet, I moved some into the coop from the run.
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Day 23 and I make the grim discovery that one of the new chooklings is dead and the other has a slipped tendon. The missus and I strap it up and as we don't have any kind of heat for it, place it back under the mom. The few times we checked on the new family, there was a bandaged little leg with breathing movements sticking out from under a mom somewhere and all seemed well. Even the morning of the 24th day, all seemed well. Later though, we learned that is was another bad news day. The chookling with the slipped tendon is dead. We all take the weekend ahead to grieve and plan.

Day 27 and I decide it's time to move the moms off the eggs. They don't fight (very hard) and I can see they're too tired to defend any more. They're ready to accede. There are now eight white eggs and 20 off-white. I dig a hole in the winter vegetable patch, that's awaiting planting, and do the grim and stinky work of checking the eggs. Two white egg quitters, one fully developed chookling that seems to have not been able to break the shell (mental note: feed less shell grit). All the off-whites, no embryos and in various stages of rot. Mika, our Jack Russel, will now probably try to dig there every time we walk past.
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The whole family have now emerged and share time outside in the run. Both moms still seem to share duties protecting, keeping warm and teaching, with (touch wood) no friction.
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As for the future, (the "next week" kind of future that is) we've ordered a NH360 incubator and an overhead heat plate "for 20 chicks?" and we have a small rabbit style flatpack coop "for 2-4 chickens?". It's weather proof enough that it would be better suited as an outdoor brooder next to the shed and by the quails. With ten only white eggs, we shouldn't have too many chooklings at a time in the brooder.

As for Ricky, Milly and Molly. They're in semi retirement. Maybe sometime I'll let them try again.
 
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