Utah!

[sillycmoy]

Well I've been worried all day long since Lisa's sad issue with all her Silkies since I have the 2 moms together. Well they went to bed and left one baby outside, screaming its head off, since is like 100 degrees outside I just left it for about 20 minutes to see if it would go up into the coop by itself or if one of the mommas would come get it. Neither happened, so I went outside and put it in with the momma's. Well both moms are in the same nest box, and the other 3 babies were actually sleeping in the other one. I guess its just too hot outside. But thought it was funny. I guess they are getting along just fine.

 

[Ruralpearls]

Glad to hear I am not the only one, I have been feeling like an awful chicken grandma all day. Wish I would have been able to save the babies! Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge of this phenomena....I don't feel so awful now

Lisa, I read a chicken care blog and the author had this happen with her frizzle. She was the only one on the nest and as soon as the chicks hatched she killed them. It just happens that way some times. The sad thing is that they can never be trusted. You will have to incubate your eggs from them or take them away when it is lockdown time but I don't know that I would even letting them sit til lockdown with them. The tough thing about her hen is that she is constantly going broody probably just like a Silkie. It is REALLY unhealthy to let a bird go broody for too long because it takes such a toll on their health, so she has to stick her in a rabbit hutch until she snaps out of it. This happens a lot. You hardly read a post on her blog where she doesn't mention Rachel- her frizzle hen- just getting out of the 'broody breaker' as she calls it. If these are prize mamas you want to keep for breeding and don't mind incubating their eggs each time you want babies, then I would make a broody breaker hutch for them, otherwise you may need to find new moms because according to the author, they can never be trusted again. They will kill the chicks every time. I can send you a link to her blog if you would like to read more about it.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Lisa, I read a chicken care blog and the author had this happen with her frizzle. She was the only one on the nest and as soon as the chicks hatched she killed them. It just happens that way some times. The sad thing is that they can never be trusted. You will have to incubate your eggs from them or take them away when it is lockdown time but  I don't know that I would even letting them sit til lockdown with them. The tough thing about her hen is that she is constantly going broody probably just like a Silkie. It is REALLY unhealthy to let a bird go broody for too long because it takes such a toll on their health, so she has to stick her in a rabbit hutch until she snaps out of it. This happens a lot. You hardly read a post on her blog where she doesn't mention Rachel- her frizzle hen- just getting out of the 'broody breaker' as she calls it. If these are prize mamas you want to keep for breeding and don't mind incubating their eggs each time you want babies, then I would make a broody breaker hutch for them, otherwise you may need to find new moms because according to the author, they can never be trusted again. They will kill the chicks every time. I can send you a link to her blog if you would like to read more about it.

Thanks for the info! Rachel---"your daily Rachel", haha I get it, love that chicken. I usually do dunk them in cold water and not let them sit...this time I really wanted to try it, so I started letting the eggs stay, and all four went broody on 5 eggs almost instantly. It is just too much work, I won't be letting eggs stay out there anytime soon...the roosters need their girls back they are frustrated I do have a broody breaker hutch, my olive eggers get time out in there if the cold water does not work. It really does help. But these silkies are so persistent, will have to see if it works on them! Never tried it. They do get so skinny when they sit too much, I am hoping the eggs being gone will get them back to their routine. I threw them out in the yard to run around this afternoon. Of course they piled up against the run and sat there...maybe another few days. And the sprinkler running right there....

 

[Cynthia12]

Yes, silkie size.. it's been pipped all day, and now has started to zip..slowly but surely. There is shell on the floor now. I am pretty sure it's a polish mix.? Since you said the white small ones were polish? Did I get that right? Small white. So, possible frizzle polish..fun!

 

[Cynthia12]

It just hatched. It is black, four toes. No top, that I can tell yet. It is still wet, snuck it out to mama. Will watch for a while tonight. I put it under her side, it was screaming, she was wide eyed fluffing up at me. I stepped away for a bit, then went back with my trusty little flash light, and it was under her chest, she was up a little, just looking toward me. Going to check again. Hope she is good with it, and it gets the others going. I have a lot of pips now.

 

[Cynthia12]

Just checked..she didn't growl at me, she is clucking.

 

[Ruralpearls]

Thanks for the info! Rachel---"your daily Rachel", haha I get it, love that chicken. I usually do dunk them in cold water and not let them sit...this time I really wanted to try it, so I started letting the eggs stay, and all four went broody on 5 eggs almost instantly. It is just too much work, I won't be letting eggs stay out there anytime soon...the roosters need their girls back they are frustrated

I do have a broody breaker hutch, my olive eggers get time out in there if the cold water does not work. It really does help. But these silkies are so persistent, will have to see if it works on them! Never tried it. They do get so skinny when they sit too much, I am hoping the eggs being gone will get them back to their routine. I threw them out in the yard to run around this afternoon. Of course they piled up against the run and sat there...maybe another few days. And the sprinkler running right there....

Haha, The Chicken Chick! She inspired me to get frizzles this time around. I hope mine don't take after Rachel though! Silly Silkies! I hope they snap out of it soon. Sorry about your eggies

 

[Cynthia12]

Went to put another chick under broody mama. She was doing good with the baby, keeping up a bit so the baby can move around. Two eggs under her..one was warm, one was cold. I just brought them in. I have put three babies under her now, one being what looks to be a white NN. Yes NN..yellow in coloring, so guessing white. Pretty feisty little thing!
Went out this morning, and how cute! A little black head, peeking right out from under mom's white chest. Wish I had brought my camera..should have known. Still have a few pips, will try and put a couple more under her. Pretty sure she will take them if it's today.

 

[Ruralpearls]

I threw them out in the yard to run around this afternoon. Of course they piled up against the run and sat there...maybe another few days. And the sprinkler running right there....

I saw these and couldn't figure out what they were for so I looked them up. http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22584 maybe they might help. The have high ratings on here. There are other types that are cheaper but they seem a bit inhumane as you have to pierce the septum with a pin.

 

[sundancenbare]

Went to put another chick under broody mama. She was doing good with the baby, keeping up a bit so the baby can move around. Two eggs under her..one was warm, one was cold. I just brought them in. I have put three babies under her now, one being what looks to be a white NN. Yes NN..yellow in coloring, so guessing white. Pretty feisty little thing!
Went out this morning, and how cute! A little black head, peeking right out from under mom's white chest. Wish I had brought my camera..should have known. Still have a few pips, will try and put a couple more under her. Pretty sure she will take them if it's today.

oooh, Aren't broodys fun. I let my momma out of the pen and into the yard with her babies yesterday. Proped the gate open so she could get back in. The babies are so cute running in the grass and pecking away. Last night I went to check and she was back in the pen in her bucket with the babies under her. I turn a bucket on its side and the moms love them. They make great waterproof nests for moms and babies. I use the aquare ones that won't roll.