Whitey's First Clutch - She is so young...

[aart]

We gave her the eggs at around 6:30pm on Sept. 26th.

By my count Thursday 10-18 is day 21.
You don't count the day you set, the next day is Day 1(I always miss that on mine).
They'll start to hatch between now and the weekend
21 days is an estimate.
Just listen for her talking to the chicks, then you'll know they've internally pipped,
then start listening for peeping. No Peeking! Good Luck!

 

[Enchanted1s]

By my count Thursday 10-18 is day 21.
You don't count the day you set, the next day is Day 1(I always miss that on mine).
They'll start to hatch between now and the weekend
21 days is an estimate.
Just listen for her talking to the chicks, then you'll know they've internally pipped,
then start listening for peeping. No Peeking! Good Luck!

I still get the 17th as day 21- maybe I typed my set day wrong? I will have to go back and look but when I count the 27th as day one (set on 26th)... anyway, I am guessing they have their own schedule in mind LOL. No talking to (or from) the eggs yet. I am trying to remember to check on her at least hourly. Of course it is the coldest it has been here - almost hit freezing last night.

Fingers crossed - brooder ready (just in case). Tick tock - tick tock...

 

[Enchanted1s]

She did it! & she is being a good Momma too! Best news yet - it looks like we got 4 girls!!! All 6 eggs candled at 7 days showed good fetal growth. Two eggs were broken during incubation. All four remaining eggs hatched between 8 and 10 pm on 17 Oct 18.

I was only able to get a quick look this morning. She has not left the nest since hatching begun.

 

[townchicks]

Congrats on a successful hatch. Keep us posted. Nice coop, BTW.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Four beautiful girls. Happy & healthy and Whitey has learned very quickly to be a good mother hen. Two are already sold and at there new home in the mountains.

 

[townchicks]

Aww, so cute. Glad it went well.

 

[Enchanted1s]

SOOO... how do I get Whitey to go back to the flock? I let her out the other day and all six of the others went after her! She jumped up o the roof until I could clear everyone else out - she went right back to the babies. I would like to let her and the remaining two pullets outside for some sun light, but after this incident - we are really afraid to try.

 

[L1sa]

Is there any way you could put a chicken wire area within the main run for whitey and the chicks, so the others can still see and get used to them without touching? I did that for the first week/two and then I left the door open and they just integrated themselves.


It is quite scary when you first re integrate them, but generally the others won't go after the young chicks, it's when they get a bit bigger they start!! Mine only started pecking the chicks when they got to about 5 weeks, actually when mumma weaned them, and she is still the worst 'pecker' out of all of them!!

Chicks are designed to run fast for a reason! Make sure they have places to hide, to run and get away from the others. I moved my maternity coop away from the wall just enough so they can get round the side but the big girls can't fit. They learn very quickly where they fit in the pecking order, and it's not scary or strange to them...it's how chickens do life.

I actually work at a school and I had to make a video this week about my chickens for the grade 1 class and bless them, they were really concerned when I explained that the chicks mum has now turned her back on them. One of the kids questions was " why did she do that, I hope my mum doesn't do that to me." We humans see chicken behaviour and compare it to us and think of it as mean and cruel, but it's not, the chicks have to go through a learning process and it's perfectly normal. Whitey will also have to go through a reintegration process to regain her place amongst the flock.

Good luck

 

[aart]

SOOO... how do I get Whitey to go back to the flock? I let her out the other day and all six of the others went after her! She jumped up o the roof until I could clear everyone else out - she went right back to the babies. I would like to let her and the remaining two pullets outside for some sun light, but after this incident - we are really afraid to try.
View attachment 1578890

Maybe just leave one bird in the run and let her out....see what happens.
She's gonna have to battle her way into the pecking order....it's often not pretty.
Time for some Chicken Juggling!

 

[Enchanted1s]

@aart That is exactly what I did the other day. I kept the remaining 2 babies in the run and let Whitey out (she wanted out). The other six ALL went after and she jumped on the roof. I think I have the other two babies sold next weekend. When I posted the last question we were considering keeping the two babies. Poor Whitey - she is the youngest (by a couple of weeks) and has always been the most timid. When she was little she would just lay there and take whatever the others dished out. Almost like she thought if she just lay still they wouldn't see her.

After the babies are either gone or weaned - should I let her stay in the maternity coop if she wants to? Or force her to return to the main coop?