The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[joyfulkeeper]

Would you expect the broody mama to be exhausted? Maybe the chicks kept her up all night hatching...she can hardly keep her eyes open unless the chicks are out from under her. She has already taught some of them to eat, and I had to grab some dirt and feed for them - I was thinking I had a day or two for that. Still at 5 chicks, 3 eggs left...probably duds but I'll let her decide how long to keep the eggs. She hasn't gotten up, still sitting on the eggs. I am having a ball, it is so much fun to see the babies burrow under her feathers. here you can see one beak sticking out with the two chicks out and about and another.... You know I have the mystery rooster from that woman....he is the dad. Two welsummer moms, two astrolorp moms, two amercana moms - one of those might be a dud egg.

So sweet! Your pictures are great! My Broody is exhausted too. She keeps falling asleep even if my kids are loud in the coop. How can you tell how many eggs are left and how many have hatched? Has she gotten up a little?

 

[lalaland]

So sweet! Your pictures are great!

My Broody is exhausted too. She keeps falling asleep even if my kids are loud in the coop.

How can you tell how many eggs are left and how many have hatched? Has she gotten up a little?

So maybe broody exhaustion is normal...I was a bit worried. I know I put 6 eggs under her, and the two sulmtalers that share the coop snuck in two eggs - I didn't want to disturb her and pull them out so I jsut left them. I've seen 5 chicks, and I know there are two eggs left, so I felt under her when the babies were out and there are three under her, didn't feel like anything had cracked. I pulled one out and held it to my ear, tapped it, it was silent. I put it back just to be safe...

I don't think she has gotten up at all. She ate like crazy this morning, I've been hand feeding her every other day or so. I did pull out few egg shells from under her when she was lifting herself up, not quite standing but!

Has yours gotten up yet?
I am going to make the grated carrot and garlic feed for the chicks tomorrow. glad it is the weekend!

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
you might sneak a candling on those eggs. if they're dudds then taking them out will get her up and moving sooner, so she'll teach those chicks to eat and drink.

 

[zinia8]

thanks for answering my question. I gave her 8 eggs. 5 from off the counter and 3 that the hens had laid that day. so here we go first time hatching...(My other half is gonna kill me)

 

[debbiegt]

Congratulations lalaland! What is the carrot and garlic feed for the chicks?

 

[debbiegt]

On the egg shape: In my country we are very olds wife tales followers .
For me I tried it all the time with my chickens and duck eggs and most of the time it works but you will get the the pullets out of the really round ones and the cockerels out of the really pointy one with sometimes people don't consider them (use good  shape eggs don't incubate the odd shape ones).
The other thing I do is the ring and the strand and that works for me as well.Try it first with your dog or cat (some animal you  know the sex for sure and can sit still for you until you get the moves figure out.)This will work only if you are relax, don't do it when you are exited or worry other wise your energy will change the ring movement, you can even try this when the eggs are candle  on the days where you can see a chicks for sure with feather .
My last resource is sex venting I do that as well, I can not explain it but if you know how to sex bunnies then you will get it easy.

with the ring and the strand what equals a pullet?

 

[subhanalah]

with the ring and the strand what equals a pullet?

50/50 chance it's either one.

 

[Kassaundra]

thanks for answering my question. I gave her 8 eggs. 5 from off the counter and 3 that the hens had laid that day. so here we go first time hatching...(My other half is gonna kill me)

Act innocent blame it on the chicken, he can't get mad at the chicken!!!! lol

 

[mlowen]

Chicken tunnels entertaining the neighbors:

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Illness in coop outside so while treating them the 4 heritage chicks that came home yesterday from Fred are inside with a plug of grass in a melon box. The are not fully feathered and with the turn back to cold didn't want them sick.

More eggs with Fred to incubate and 7 more I set on the 7th in a "fixed" incubator I got. Hoping I fixed it right. If this test run works I can hatch next spring myself.

On the FF pullet/roo rate, of the four I gave Fred to hatch, I am sure one is male and think one female. The other two I am leaning toward male. So if I am right 3 of my 4 are males. We will see what happens with the test run around the 28 -30th.