Trader Joes & Other Grocery Store Egg Hatching Club - Are you a Member

[boomchicken]

IT'S HATCHING!  My first TJ chick is hatching!  My first chick ever!  Yay!

Grats!! That's so exciting!

 

[vetaflame]

First chick pic! I know it's really blurry, but it's not that easy to get a picture of a chick under a broody hen.

 

[Dianne88]

First chick pic! I know it's really blurry, but it's not that easy to get a picture of a chick under a broody hen.

Wonderful!

 

[boomchicken]

First chick pic! I know it's really blurry, but it's not that easy to get a picture of a chick under a broody hen.

Cute! Is that one or two? I see another fuzzball to the right?

 

[vetaflame]

Cute! Is that one or two? I see another fuzzball to the right?

That's Lisa's foot.

The other two eggs in the nest are due to hatch Tuesday, if Lisa stays on the nest. If she doesn't, I'm going to try incubating them.

 

[vetaflame]

I pulled Joey (snort!) out of the nest box today and put him in a brooder. (I think he’s male. Very strong, assertive, loud chick.) Lisa still has two eggs to hatch and they aren’t due for a couple more days, and the other girls are still climbing in with her to lay their eggs, so I’ve been worrying Joey will get squished. I was also worrying that he wasn’t getting food or water being in with Lisa. I think it was a good call. I put him in the brooder and within a few seconds, he discovered the food and started eating:



Then he turned around and discovered the water:



And then, just like any baby, he took two steps, flopped down, and went to sleep:



When I left, he immediately woke up and started yelling, loudly. I went back and talked to him until he fell asleep, then snuck away. Now he seems perfectly content to be in the brooder alone. My plan, though, is to put him back with Lisa at night. I don’t want her to reject him and I’m hoping having him in with her at night will keep her attached to him. Once the other chicks are born, I’m planning to leave everyone with her and let her raise them. So far she seems like a good Mama.

 

[boomchicken]

When I left, he immediately woke up and started yelling, loudly. I went back and talked to him until he fell asleep, then snuck away. Now he seems perfectly content to be in the brooder alone. My plan, though, is to put him back with Lisa at night. I don’t want her to reject him and I’m hoping having him in with her at night will keep her attached to him. Once the other chicks are born, I’m planning to leave everyone with her and let her raise them. So far she seems like a good Mama.  e

Awww.

 

[CheyAut]

My TJ eggs are hatching! 4 out of 5 so far, other is working on it

 

[vetaflame]

My TJ eggs are hatching! 4 out of 5 so far, other is working on it

Yay! They look just like mine!

 

[vetaflame]

Yesterday evening I put Joey back in with Lisa for the night. I sat and watched for quite a while, since I wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to hurt him. As I watched, I saw her pecking at his beak. At first I was worried, then I realized she was grinding food into little pieces and poking them at his beak! I had no idea chickens did that! I saw Joey eat from her beak. Then, he was pecking at the hay in the nest box, and Lisa picked up one of the seed heads, nibbled on it, and dropped it in front of him. When he didn’t eat it right away, she bit of a little piece and poked it at his beak. I got all excited and put a handful of laying mash in the nest box, and they both went to town, Lisa stopping every once in a while to poke more food at Joey. I decided they were okay and left them alone. This morning I found Joey sleeping under Lisa’s wing, on top of her foot. She’s a Cochin, so she has big, fluffy feet. It must be like sleeping inside a down comforter for Joey. So sweet. Lisa is still sitting on the other eggs, so I’m going to pull Joey out again in a little while and let him spend the day in the brooder again.