Time-lapse Thread Showing Key Steps in Hen-hatching

[Kiki]

Understand now, thanks...
...sometimes you forget your audience here is not fluent in science/biology/zoology,
tho I like to learn your vocabulary and truly enjoy your observations and 'experiments'.

X2.

 

[centrarchid]

I do suck it up and look up words a lot and double check to make certain context is correct.

 

[centrarchid]

Clutch as is Now. Will check game camera shortly to see which hen is the lead.

 

[centrarchid]

Working through images. Both hens working on clutch from the beginning. Fudge with peanuts.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen I designated the lead (P for pattern on wing secondaries) has deposited 11 of the 17 eggs in the nest. She also consumed 1 egg after I added two from previous nest overnight. Second hen attempted to remove an egg before depositing her first. She returned the moved egg just before depositing her own.

Will have to repeat this in the adjacent pen.

 

[centrarchid]

Last night I pulled cock from pen. Anticipating one of the hens to go broody very soon because one of them, ID not known, was refusing his advances late in the day yesterday. Once a hen commits, the other will be removed tying up a large pen for a single hen and over-sized clutch. Effort will be repeated with another pairing, likely using a smaller coop.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen P appears to have become broody. She is covering the large clutch while hen C roosted on pole. I removed hen C to prevent dual broodies on a nest.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen not on nest today nor now after dark. Going broody is not always a black and white issue. Her purpose in nest may not have been related to incubation, rather do to a weather event. We had a strong front come through last night with funky conditions associated with it. Weather induced behavior changes in other chickens, even chicks in a brooder housed in the garage. At work a bunch of fish jumped out of tanks during same interval.

 

[centrarchid]

I think hen P full on broody now. She went from roost about dawn to sit on clutch until mid-morning then got off again until mid-afternoon. She is on now two hours after dark. Not black and white transition.

Refreshing batteries and emptying memory stick to ensure enough images can be taken to catch all the good stuff.

 

[Kiki]

How long have the eggs been in the nest. The first egg laid about how long ago?