Search results for query: *

What do you get if you cross cuckoo marans over black copper marans? I've been told not to try it but not why.

Sadly the first chick that externally pipped before the others, didn't make it failing to zip but 16 others did hatch! Pretty happy with my first try at incubating.

I have 11 hens and most are named. There's Ruby a Rhode island red, Dolly (Parton) and Barba - Easter Eggers named for their hairdo (crest) and whiskers. Then there's Dove a light Sussex named cos she looked like a white dove as a chick. No longer unfortunately as she's broody and vicious if you...

It had externally pipped but sadly then died overnight. Too much humidity??? However, 4 others have now hatched successful my. I'm thrilled!

Thank you. I'm so wanting to have a look see but all the info says not to open the incubator. It's very exciting for a first timer.

First time incubating eggs and now at day 20. I heard a chirp tonight! Does this mean a chick has internally or externally pipped?

Don't discount cats - I lost 2 18 week wyandotte pullets and a full grown hen to a feral cat. We heard the racket from the free range coop and followed drag marks to find the cat crouched over my freshly killed hen in the hedge. Fortunately a shotgun solved that problem and we haven't lost...

Thank you so much for your support. I think I'll leave mum and chicks in the stable for a couple of weeks as there is plenty of room and I shut it up at night to keep out predators. PS is that a Pyrenees guarding your chooks?

Yay my 5th blue shrink-wrapped chick is hanging in there and improving. I'm sure I saw it pecking at food and it's mobility is much better too.

Photo shows 4 of the cute siblings - 3 older and 1 newly hatched. Our shrink-wrapped chick not hatched yet is in the blue egg in the box

I have mum and chicks in a separate old stable with hay bedding on the concrete floor. Mum has a cardboard box on its side that she retreats into with her chicks. Chick food and water within easy reach. On last check the chick is now slowly mobile but nowhere near as active or agile as its...

Well surprisingly the chick is still alive but markedly weaker and less mobile than its siblings. I haven't seen it eating yet either. Should it be starting to eat at a day old?

Thank you. Both mumma hen and I are new to hatching/ raising chicks. She has been incredible given the drawn out circumstances of the incubation and hatch.The chick s head was obviously stuck and it was unable to free its head. Perhaps I should have just left it at freeing the top half but I...

I had 2 young pullets go broody after a month laying so I gave the first one 8 fertile eggs. The other broody joined her a few days later and was thieving her eggs so I ended up giving her 4 of her own. Not that that worked as they played musical eggs every time one of them got off their nest...

Yes she pecked me alright but I just picked her up and dumped her on the floor and blocked off the nest box with a metal fence which she tried to fly back through. Then she squawked an angry raucous sounding bok bok bok (not an egg song sound) for at least 10 minutes. One very p...d off hen.

I guess she was puffed up but what are broody ticking sounds? Normally I can't touch her but I was able to pick her up as she wouldn't leave the nest. Then she just continued sitting on the ground.

So I've noticed Blue seemed to be hanging around the nest boxes a lot lately. Then yesterday afternoon I found her sitting. I picked her up and dumped her on the floor and she just sat there. Is this broody behaviour? After a while I heard her swearing loudly for 10 minutes then she rejoined...

Update - I fed Ruby with scrambled eggs and sunflower seeds which apparently are high in Vit E. It seemed to work as before I could get into town for capsules, she improved significantly. On day 5 she even resumed laying. Thank you to those who helped.

Ok so it is the SLW who is laying and she has weaned her chick at 12 weeks. Poor little pullet now gets chased off by Mum and has no friends. It sidled up to her yesterday and Mum pecked her so viciously that she ripped out a tail feather. Definitely weaned.

She's been doing it for 3 days. Poor Ruby can't even fly onto the roost at night as her neck swivels too vigorously. She seems fine moving about during the day though. I'll check her crop in the morning.