Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[Shadrach]

Do you still have your Black Coppers? Would love to see a recent pic if you do and care to share?

Unfortunately not. I left them behind when I had to move back to the UK from Catalonia.

 

[thistlewick]

You just know this morning I am vigilant as all heck on my cameras to catch anything lol eggs should hatch tomorrow -- even possibly tonight.


I haven't candled - there are six left. I scoured the bedding yesterday through the entire hen house and couldn't find that other egg.

 

[thistlewick]

Well looks like today was hatch Day

Supposed to be Lavender and Chocolate Ameraucana

Third chick hatched looks Blue not lavender.

So

Yet again I got mystery eggs.

3 more eggs, but none of them pipped. Technically tomorrow was hatch Day. So we will see what happens this afternoon and overnight.


Also missing one Dorking. No sign of her. Will see if she comes back to roost but it's more likely she got eaten/taken bc that batch is 7 weeks old and they stay near the hen house.

Will take a headcount tonight.

 

[thistlewick]

68 chickens at the head count tonight at roosting time. Hung out with them for quite awhile beforehand and had a lovely evening, quite a calm forage compared to how it was with Chuck and Oscar.

68 is 1 down (I think? I didnt really have a solid count. But I do now), so we did lose the One Dorking at some point. I did see a bunch of feathers a couple days ago, thought it could have been the duck (it was near her pond). Must have been the Dorking.

Disappointed it's one of the special breeds I got but what can ya do.

I think I ended up with only own Welsummer.

Out of 12 eggs. 8 of which were fertile. 7 of which hatched. Most were boys. I thought I kept one but apparently not.

But I do have a girl

Pretty sure that's a Welsummer lol

Tilly has 3 babies so far. Will be interesting to see what happens in the morning. Everyone is being mindful of her and leaving her alone.

Dolly, our cute golden Campine

And Daisy, our other Dorking with a better sense of hiding lol came to visit for the first time tonight. She saw Scarlett, Hunter, Whoopie and Miss Pecky have a visit and she decided I guess that she wanted one too

 

[thistlewick]

More pics just because

Scarlett - my absolute favorite bc she's a cuddle bug

And this one cracked me up - they look like they're gossiping hahaha

My head is apparently the *best* place to preen, Whoopie says... She stayed up there for quite some time and Scarlett and Hunter both decided to come up and visit as well. They are almost 13 weeks old LOL

 

[thistlewick]

Tilly took the 3 chicks off the nest to eat and drink this morning. I made a little set up right next to the nest for now, this set up will last <5 days or so - then she will begin taking them out and around the hen house for a week or so -- she brings them OUT though, to the hedge to teach them to forage. Her previous brood are pros.

Her previous brood are also like 9 weeks old and still trying to sleep on the nests though LOL big babies

The three eggs in the nest still -- ehhhh, one MAYBE has a pip on the wrong end, the other two... one feels like it didn't develop (I never candled) its heavy and feels... liquid inside and one feels like it developed but no pip. Today was technically hatch day so I will wait it out. You never know! It's hot enough they should be fine if they hatch without her over them. She's literally right there anyway. Will take a couple pics later got an appointment this morning!

 

[thistlewick]

SOMEONE is eating eggs. But only Tilly's eggs. I cannot see on camera who it is - it won't catch that activity. Very frustrating.

The egg that was partially eaten was 100% undeveloped. (Just like I thought)

But I don't want some crazy egg eater.

I might have to do process of elimination and swap Harriet out.

While watching the camera feed (which didn't give me any information about the egg eater )

I saw Dorothy go over to where the babies were (they are by the nests, after all) and she was choosing a nest but the babies were around and she would pick them up by the neck and toss them away LOL not mean -- they are not hurt and they didn't scream or peep (much lol) and Tilly didn't think a thing of it. But that was the first time I've seen a hen do that. I guess she was not interested in them being in her business lol

I reached out to the lady who sold me "chocolate and lavender" Ameraucana and asked her about the yellow chick and she said it should be dominant white lol

Cool! But also lol??

I candled the last 2 eggs -- one is alive, one is very black and the air cell doesn't look like it's big enough, so I'm guessing its a quitter but I cannot be 100% sure. I'm just going to let them be - not sure what to do there.

 

[thistlewick]

So Ginger has stolen the chicks love and devotion. And I let Harriet out but she's being a turd to everyone lol

The chicks instantly fell in love with Ginger and now they follow both Tilly and Ginger.

Ginger is beside herself with happiness it's adorable.

No matter what kind of food I put down in what kind of container , they knock it out and scratch thru the bedding. Oh well. That's what Tilly did last time and they lived lol

Soon enough they will be able to reach the lowest hanging one in the run.

No action from the last 2 eggs.

Will wait a day or so. I've been surprised before.

 

[thistlewick]

Oooh drama this morning, found a half-hatched-half-attacked?? chick in the nest - still very much alive (other final egg was liquid inside, so there was about 3/8 unfertilized. 1/8 eaten/killed, 3/8 hatched and 1/8 needs help)

So I plunked it in the incubator. It's a mess. pics below with spoiler bc it's.. a mess.

Spoiler

so I didn't originally hear peeping but since I put it in the incubator I now hear peeping and it's legs are kicking a lot. The shell is STUCK to it. I am going to let it rest in the incubator for awhile to see if the high humidity will help with the softening of the shell/membrane.

I will probably assist if I have to, because this little one wants to live.

 

[kattabelly]

Oooh drama this morning, found a half-hatched-half-attacked?? chick in the nest - still very much alive (other final egg was liquid inside, so there was about 3/8 unfertilized. 1/8 eaten/killed, 3/8 hatched and 1/8 needs help)

So I plunked it in the incubator. It's a mess. pics below with spoiler bc it's.. a mess.

Spoiler

View attachment 4199975View attachment 4199976View attachment 4199977

so I didn't originally hear peeping but since I put it in the incubator I now hear peeping and it's legs are kicking a lot. The shell is STUCK to it. I am going to let it rest in the incubator for awhile to see if the high humidity will help with the softening of the shell/membrane.

I will probably assist if I have to, because this little one wants to live.

Are you able to see if there's still umbilical or unabsorbed yolk attached?

I wouldn't expect the humidity from the incubator to help much when it's that stuck, but I'd want to check it's "fully cooked" first before giving it a bath.