Tips for newbies. Everyone join in! :)

[Irishgirl]

Hey all, we have a 12 ft by 4 ft coop attached to our little back yard within 2 acres of bigger fencing... We have Jersey Giants (10 hens and one roo)-- and one of the hens has been broody for about 10 days and after finally realizing she is Broody we put some warm eggs (found a nest in the bushes) under her in the nest box (she had gotten off 2 days ago b/c I stole all the eggs, not understanding Broody-- these are our first hens-- but she got back in the next day, still broody I guess).. and she is happily sitting on them... Here is the thing-- I go out of town for work every few days (just keep the feeders full) thus I dont want to try locking her up seperately-- as it is she can go out for a quick feed and back on the nest--

BUT should I get a little box and fill it with straw and put it on the floor of the coop when it gets closer to hatching time (we opened one of the eggs they look to be day 4 or 5 on the embryo chart)-- or just leave her in the nest box (its one of 6 nest boxes, but it has been getting hot and I am finding random eggs in the chicken yard and in the bushes (one of my hens is an egg eater and she came leaping out of the bushes with an egg, which is how I got the 13 eggs -12 of which we placed under her....


Help Newbie needing advice!Thanks in advance Wise ones...

I would tend to put her in a box on the coop floor, just so the chicks don't fall out. If it's to hot in the nestboxes, you could try putting a fan in the coop to help circulate the air, just to make it cooler for the hen.

Also, if you don't want to break open any more eggs, I would try candling them. There are several good threads here that are very useful to a beginning candler.
Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Popcorn]

Quote: I second this. Of all the chickens I have, my Barred Rock roo is the sweetest. He is a huge marshmallow and very easy to handle. People are always surprised that they can pet him because of his size and large spurs.

 

[Irishgirl]

I second this. Of all the chickens I have, my Barred Rock roo is the sweetest. He is a huge marshmallow and very easy to handle. People are always surprised that they can pet him because of his size and large spurs.

Good for you! I've always said that I would never have a mean roo in my flock, and you got a natural sweetie!

 

[Irishgirl]

If you ever need a no-drown waterer but don't have time to go buy one, you could try putting marbles or clean pea gravel in a normal waterer.

 

[Sage874]

This thread was very helpful. I know I am one of the quiet member, sorry.
I've raised chicken on and off for years. Finally got back into it last year when I discovered cochin bantams.
Love em. This year, I bought a Hova-Bater! I have all calibrated perfect temp and humidity.
Eggs will go in this weekend. I am very excited.
I candled 3 and they are fertile. Now I'll let em alone.
Question tho...do I keep adding water? I note the level does go down.
I read a damp towel or face cloth is better? I sure want to do the right thing.
So far following the instructions with the Bater is good to go.
One article here said remove the red vent plugs after 10 days. should I?
Wish me luck!
Sage

 

[Lee Nelson]

What do you mean by internalizing the yolk in baby chicks?

 

[Aphrael]

What do you mean by internalizing the yolk in baby chicks?

When a baby chick pips its shell the yolk is still on the outside but attached to them. The flexing of muscles while they work to break free of the egg triggers the abdominal muscles to draw the yolk inside of them. The yolk then provides their nutritional needs for 2-3 days. Chicks aren't actually ready to be out of the shell until the yolk is fully absorbed and the abdominal cavity has sealed shut. This is why is can be so devastating when people try to "help" chicks hatch too soon.

 

[Lee Nelson]

Very interesting, thanks. I have been raising chickens for 10 years and now I learned something new

 

[gander007]

When a baby chick pips its shell the yolk is still on the outside but attached to them. The flexing of muscles while they work to break free of the egg triggers the abdominal muscles to draw the yolk inside of them. The yolk then provides their nutritional needs for 2-3 days. Chicks aren't actually ready to be out of the shell until the yolk is fully absorbed and the abdominal cavity has sealed shut. This is why is can be so devastating when people try to "help" chicks hatch too soon.

Thank you for your explanation of the hatching process and it makes scents ...........

gander007

 

[Irishgirl]

This thread was very helpful. I know I am one of the quiet member, sorry.
I've raised chicken on and off for years. Finally got back into it last year when I discovered cochin bantams.
Love em. This year, I bought a Hova-Bater! I have all calibrated perfect temp and humidity.
Eggs will go in this weekend. I am very excited.
I candled 3 and they are fertile. Now I'll let em alone.
Question tho...do I keep adding water? I note the level does go down.
I read a damp towel or face cloth is better? I sure want to do the right thing.
So far following the instructions with the Bater is good to go.
One article here said remove the red vent plugs after 10 days. should I?
Wish me luck!
Sage

Some people say there's only one right way to hatch eggs, but I've found that you can vary you methods quite a bit and still get good results.
I personally don't add any water until the last three days, but I also live next to a large body of water, so my main problem is not drowning the chicks. You can use a damp towel, washcloth, or sponge, I prefer a sponge just because it harder for them to drown themselves with a sponge than a dish of water.
I also almost never use the plugs except when it's cold, but it's probably safe to leave them in till the last three days.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I thought the thread had died, so I kinda abandoned it.
Good luck!