Welcome to the world, little hatchlings. I'm so glad you're here.
 |
| 2017 Chicks |
 |
| 2017 Chicks |
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Broody Days
Sunday 7/16
It was a little cooler today. I made a trip into town to get some fence posts and when I got back, I found another chicken in the nest with Blossom. I picked her up and placed her on another nest at the opposite end of the hen yard. She obviously got the message, because she left an egg in the new location. Hopefully that will put an end to more eggs piling up under Blossom while she tries to hatch what she already has. Poor thing, she starts out with two and at last count had 11.
Monday 7/17
Real hot today. The shed gets like an oven. With the wet towels wrapped around her nesting box, she stays cool. I can see a slight shimmering as the moisture evaporates. She eats grain ravenously out of my hand and I leave greens for her. Been trying to find worms or slugs, but they are hard to find right now in this weather. Even though she has water, she doesn't seem to be drinking unless I dip my finger in and hold it to her beak. Hopefully she's getting enough water. And she could be getting off the nest without me seeing her do it.
Tuesday 7/18
Yesterday evening I took her off the nest and counted 13 eggs under her. I removed one and marked the rest with an X in pencil on the end of each egg. Luckily the one I removed was fresh and I was able to use it. She ate some grain and drank a little water before settling back on the eggs. Tonight I checked again and found that she had soiled the nest, some of the eggs were in bad shape. I ended up removing one fresh one without an X and one with an X because it was completely coated in manure. That leaves 11 eggs. After removing the straw, I put a little fresh straw in around the eggs. She seemed to settle in fine, but I'm not sure I want to keep doing that. I've never handled a hen so much during broodiness. Before, they were always isolated from the others and I just left them alone. I've been considering fencing the shed off so the others can't get in. It may be the best option.
Wednesday 7/19
Today is day seven. It's been real hot every day, but this evening seemed cooler. I decided to leave her on the nest and not check on the eggs yet. I'm sure there are probably more than 11 eggs in there with her now. I just don't want to keep disturbing her.
Thursday 7/20
It's been one full week that she's been on the nest. I woke up to rain this morning and was so grateful not to have to water the garden. Now it's hot and muggy this afternoon. I was too busy to spend much time outdoors today, but when I checked late this afternoon, she was still on the nest and seemed to have had some water. Since it stayed cool today until the shed was in shade, I didn't bother with the wet towels. I'm thinking about getting some chicken wire over the door, so the others can't get in, but then she can't get out. Not a bad thing as long as I leave plenty of food and water in there with her, and check her throughout the hot part of the day. I'll probably do it Saturday and then check the eggs one more time. I've never candled them, but that would be day 10, if I wanted to do it. The soiled egg with the X that I removed on day 6 had gone bad, so it's possible there are others too. I hate micro managing this whole process. I never did before and everything was always okay. I'd rather just trust nature.
Saturday 7/22 Day 10
Down to 10 eggs now. When I checked this morning, one of the eggs was broken. It looked strange, as if it had been hard boiled inside.
I put up wire fencing over the door, but it didn't do a bit of good. At about 10 am I heard angry hen sounds coming from Blossom's nest box, and found that another hen had gotten in, despite the wire. Later in the day, I heard more angry protests and found that Blossom had gotten out and was frantic to get back onto the nest. Well, that was a nice idea, but didn't work, so I took down the wire.
Saturday 7/29 Day 17
I spent the last 3 or 4 days building a nursery under the trees in the garden near my back door. It's been incredibly hot and so I've only been able to do a little work early in the morning before it heats up. This evening we moved her in the twilight while she was sleepy. We picked her up, nest box and all and put her into her new, secure location. New coop and reinforced 1" chicken wire perimeter. Now I can relax. I wasn't sure she would survive the impending heat wave, forecast for the next few days.
Sunday 7/30 Day 18
She seems to be very happy in her new location. Not stressed and still on the nest.
Monday 7/31 Day 19
Blossom spent 30 or 40 minutes wandering around the garden before settling back onto the nest.
Wednesday 8/2 Hatch day!!
I caught a glimpse of a yellow?? chick!! I'm so excited. I've never had anything from my flock but Barred Rocks who start out as little dark puff balls.
Thursday 8/3
I've been leaving her alone. She got off the nest at one point this afternoon and I saw 1 robust yellow chick and 4 dark chicks. Also one partially hatched chick that died. I removed it, and she settled back into the nest, but I noticed she wasn't sitting very well on the still unhatched eggs. Her attention is on the 5 chicks. I was tempted to remove the 4 remaining eggs but left them with her. You never know.
Friday 8/4
This morning I could see her standing over another hatching chick, so I was glad I didn't remove the eggs last night. It turned out to be another yellow chick! But unfortunately, she did not survive. She got out of the egg alright, but seemed to have internal injuries and bled to death. It was sad, but she died with her "mom" and nest mates. After that, Blossom wanted to be done hatching eggs and left the nest, so I removed the last of them.
Out of 10 eggs, 7 hatched. Two didn't survive. But the 5 that did are very hardy. Well done Blossom. Well done chicks.
It was a little cooler today. I made a trip into town to get some fence posts and when I got back, I found another chicken in the nest with Blossom. I picked her up and placed her on another nest at the opposite end of the hen yard. She obviously got the message, because she left an egg in the new location. Hopefully that will put an end to more eggs piling up under Blossom while she tries to hatch what she already has. Poor thing, she starts out with two and at last count had 11.
Monday 7/17
Real hot today. The shed gets like an oven. With the wet towels wrapped around her nesting box, she stays cool. I can see a slight shimmering as the moisture evaporates. She eats grain ravenously out of my hand and I leave greens for her. Been trying to find worms or slugs, but they are hard to find right now in this weather. Even though she has water, she doesn't seem to be drinking unless I dip my finger in and hold it to her beak. Hopefully she's getting enough water. And she could be getting off the nest without me seeing her do it.
Tuesday 7/18
Yesterday evening I took her off the nest and counted 13 eggs under her. I removed one and marked the rest with an X in pencil on the end of each egg. Luckily the one I removed was fresh and I was able to use it. She ate some grain and drank a little water before settling back on the eggs. Tonight I checked again and found that she had soiled the nest, some of the eggs were in bad shape. I ended up removing one fresh one without an X and one with an X because it was completely coated in manure. That leaves 11 eggs. After removing the straw, I put a little fresh straw in around the eggs. She seemed to settle in fine, but I'm not sure I want to keep doing that. I've never handled a hen so much during broodiness. Before, they were always isolated from the others and I just left them alone. I've been considering fencing the shed off so the others can't get in. It may be the best option.
Wednesday 7/19
Today is day seven. It's been real hot every day, but this evening seemed cooler. I decided to leave her on the nest and not check on the eggs yet. I'm sure there are probably more than 11 eggs in there with her now. I just don't want to keep disturbing her.
Thursday 7/20
It's been one full week that she's been on the nest. I woke up to rain this morning and was so grateful not to have to water the garden. Now it's hot and muggy this afternoon. I was too busy to spend much time outdoors today, but when I checked late this afternoon, she was still on the nest and seemed to have had some water. Since it stayed cool today until the shed was in shade, I didn't bother with the wet towels. I'm thinking about getting some chicken wire over the door, so the others can't get in, but then she can't get out. Not a bad thing as long as I leave plenty of food and water in there with her, and check her throughout the hot part of the day. I'll probably do it Saturday and then check the eggs one more time. I've never candled them, but that would be day 10, if I wanted to do it. The soiled egg with the X that I removed on day 6 had gone bad, so it's possible there are others too. I hate micro managing this whole process. I never did before and everything was always okay. I'd rather just trust nature.
Saturday 7/22 Day 10
Down to 10 eggs now. When I checked this morning, one of the eggs was broken. It looked strange, as if it had been hard boiled inside.
I put up wire fencing over the door, but it didn't do a bit of good. At about 10 am I heard angry hen sounds coming from Blossom's nest box, and found that another hen had gotten in, despite the wire. Later in the day, I heard more angry protests and found that Blossom had gotten out and was frantic to get back onto the nest. Well, that was a nice idea, but didn't work, so I took down the wire.
Saturday 7/29 Day 17
I spent the last 3 or 4 days building a nursery under the trees in the garden near my back door. It's been incredibly hot and so I've only been able to do a little work early in the morning before it heats up. This evening we moved her in the twilight while she was sleepy. We picked her up, nest box and all and put her into her new, secure location. New coop and reinforced 1" chicken wire perimeter. Now I can relax. I wasn't sure she would survive the impending heat wave, forecast for the next few days.
Sunday 7/30 Day 18
She seems to be very happy in her new location. Not stressed and still on the nest.
Monday 7/31 Day 19
Blossom spent 30 or 40 minutes wandering around the garden before settling back onto the nest.
Wednesday 8/2 Hatch day!!
I caught a glimpse of a yellow?? chick!! I'm so excited. I've never had anything from my flock but Barred Rocks who start out as little dark puff balls.
Thursday 8/3
I've been leaving her alone. She got off the nest at one point this afternoon and I saw 1 robust yellow chick and 4 dark chicks. Also one partially hatched chick that died. I removed it, and she settled back into the nest, but I noticed she wasn't sitting very well on the still unhatched eggs. Her attention is on the 5 chicks. I was tempted to remove the 4 remaining eggs but left them with her. You never know.
Friday 8/4
This morning I could see her standing over another hatching chick, so I was glad I didn't remove the eggs last night. It turned out to be another yellow chick! But unfortunately, she did not survive. She got out of the egg alright, but seemed to have internal injuries and bled to death. It was sad, but she died with her "mom" and nest mates. After that, Blossom wanted to be done hatching eggs and left the nest, so I removed the last of them.
Out of 10 eggs, 7 hatched. Two didn't survive. But the 5 that did are very hardy. Well done Blossom. Well done chicks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)