So heres my situation:
I had a broody hen (GLW), and I thought little chicks with a mama would be cute. I had plenty of room so I asked a friend for three hatching eggs.
She gave me a Samon F X Dark cornish, Brama X Dark Cornish and an UNKNOWN egg.
I stuck e'm under the hen and started the waiting game.
The first week went by fine, she was sitting nicely and guarding them. I candled and found that two were fertile, but I wasn't 100% sure on the other one so I left it just in case.
During the second week things started getting hairy. The hen was getting up for extended periods of time (1-4 hours) and wouldn't go back unless chased back onto the nest.
I started timing when she'd get off and just put her right back on, but there were some windows of one-two hours in which the eggs where exposed. (I couldn't always be there, school and all.)
Then the thrid week came.... She ate two of the eggs, back to back. The dud and the live one. (And it WAS alive, I could see it wiggle.)
Mid way through the last week she stopped sitting all together. Simultaneously my OEGB went broody so I gave her the remaining egg.
By some small miracle, the chick was still alive! I could see it clearly moving around just last night when I candled!
Yesterday my best friend had a hatch, she was two days ahead of me. She had two eggs remaining that were wiggling last night but haven't moved sense. For personal reasons the eggs couldn't stay.
I live ten minutes away so I cranked up the heater and drove home where I stuck them under my hen.
So I have three eggs, that have all show signs of hatching, two are on day 23, one is on day 21.
They have been through the ringer, and by all means of chance are somehow alive inside their shells. What do you think is the likelihood of me seeing three little faces in the next few days?
PS:
I know I did somethings wrong, but please don't berate me. I have done my best with what I had at my disposal.
I had a broody hen (GLW), and I thought little chicks with a mama would be cute. I had plenty of room so I asked a friend for three hatching eggs.
She gave me a Samon F X Dark cornish, Brama X Dark Cornish and an UNKNOWN egg.
I stuck e'm under the hen and started the waiting game.
The first week went by fine, she was sitting nicely and guarding them. I candled and found that two were fertile, but I wasn't 100% sure on the other one so I left it just in case.
During the second week things started getting hairy. The hen was getting up for extended periods of time (1-4 hours) and wouldn't go back unless chased back onto the nest.
I started timing when she'd get off and just put her right back on, but there were some windows of one-two hours in which the eggs where exposed. (I couldn't always be there, school and all.)
Then the thrid week came.... She ate two of the eggs, back to back. The dud and the live one. (And it WAS alive, I could see it wiggle.)
Mid way through the last week she stopped sitting all together. Simultaneously my OEGB went broody so I gave her the remaining egg.
By some small miracle, the chick was still alive! I could see it clearly moving around just last night when I candled!
Yesterday my best friend had a hatch, she was two days ahead of me. She had two eggs remaining that were wiggling last night but haven't moved sense. For personal reasons the eggs couldn't stay.
I live ten minutes away so I cranked up the heater and drove home where I stuck them under my hen.
So I have three eggs, that have all show signs of hatching, two are on day 23, one is on day 21.
They have been through the ringer, and by all means of chance are somehow alive inside their shells. What do you think is the likelihood of me seeing three little faces in the next few days?
PS:
I know I did somethings wrong, but please don't berate me. I have done my best with what I had at my disposal.
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