- Apr 16, 2012
- 15
- 0
- 22
Hi All,
Thanks so much for the advice to this first timer and all the great info here in this forum! We had 5 new chicks hatch on Mother's Day! How fitting
After my last failed attempt to move one of my BA's who was brooding in the woods, the next day I combined two hidden nests and another broody BA in the broody stall I had already set up. Even though I moved her in the daytime, she took to it like a champ! She originally had one egg, and must have been thrilled that I added nine others from the second nest, lol!
I candled at about day 7 and thought they all looked fertile. Then one broke at about day 14, so I candled again and got rid of 3 more that didn't look viable. That left us with six eggs. All of them hatched on Mother's Day, but the next morning I went out & one little one had perished in the night. It was still under mom, but either was too weak to survive or just got squished. No way to tell.
I thought I might add a few more to the nest, so yesterday I went to the farm store in the evening and bought 4 more... two BA's and two Barred Rocks. She didn't even blink when I slipped them under her at dusk last night, and this morning all are doing well! I'm attaching a pic of the original brood. Mama(s) are I think either Barred Rock or Black Austrolorp. I also have a speckled sussex and an americauna hen, so the little grey one could be part of either of those I guess. Possible daddies are 1) white silkie 2) white Frizzle 3) White Cochin. All the babies have feathered feet & are so darling... even if they are mutts
Thanks again for all the advice!
Thanks so much for the advice to this first timer and all the great info here in this forum! We had 5 new chicks hatch on Mother's Day! How fitting
After my last failed attempt to move one of my BA's who was brooding in the woods, the next day I combined two hidden nests and another broody BA in the broody stall I had already set up. Even though I moved her in the daytime, she took to it like a champ! She originally had one egg, and must have been thrilled that I added nine others from the second nest, lol!I candled at about day 7 and thought they all looked fertile. Then one broke at about day 14, so I candled again and got rid of 3 more that didn't look viable. That left us with six eggs. All of them hatched on Mother's Day, but the next morning I went out & one little one had perished in the night. It was still under mom, but either was too weak to survive or just got squished. No way to tell.
I thought I might add a few more to the nest, so yesterday I went to the farm store in the evening and bought 4 more... two BA's and two Barred Rocks. She didn't even blink when I slipped them under her at dusk last night, and this morning all are doing well! I'm attaching a pic of the original brood. Mama(s) are I think either Barred Rock or Black Austrolorp. I also have a speckled sussex and an americauna hen, so the little grey one could be part of either of those I guess. Possible daddies are 1) white silkie 2) white Frizzle 3) White Cochin. All the babies have feathered feet & are so darling... even if they are mutts
Thanks again for all the advice!
