On July first, since I don't have a rooster, I put one dozen Trader Joe eggs under my two broody hens just to make them happy. If they hatch, great. Anything to get them off the nest. Two eggs got stepped on which left 10. With a crummy little flashlight, I candled them on day 20. I saw movement in exactly two eggs. Hmmm, we'll see. Sunday night I could see no movement in any of the eggs. So be it.
On day 24 when nothing happened and there was no peeping from the eggs, I went to the feed store and got four cute little Golden Sexlink babies to put under the hens.
As happened last year bringing new babies into the fold, errr flock, the white chick, Mystery, was a lousy mom so the black chick, Tubby, got all three babies and raised them quite nicely. This time was no exception. Mystery refused to go into the new nest I made on the floor. So heck with her, I put her back into the her nest and left her eggs with her.
Now Tubby on the other hand, readily went downstairs and gladly accepted all four new chicks as her own. The new chicks I have to guess were already about 5-6 days old, knew how to eat and drink. But Tubby is a trooper.
Yesterday when I got home from work, I went out to the coop to make sure everybody was OK. I saw one chick that looked a little off, but when I picked it up I realized it was a brand new baby!! Wow, Trader Joe came through after all. Another eggs was squashed from mom sitting on it. Looks like it would have hatched. All was quite good, but I could only find three of the feed store chicks. The fourth was NOWHERE. I'm glad I wasn't there to see the mayhem that must have occurred when Tubby couldn't protect all of them and the fourth one is now in chickie heaven. That is the horrified part. When I put the big girls to bed, I saw a tinge of pink on one of them, confirming my suspicions. Not a trace was left of the baby anywhere. I do pray that this doesn't make the big girls cannibals. Unfortunately I do not have a way of separating Mystery and her chicks from the rest of the flock.
As of last night, two Trader Joe chicks hatched. Wow. Later on, one of the eggs under Mystery hatched. But she was pecking at it, so I took it out and gave it to Tubby. I don't understand why a hen would sit for nearly a month and then start being mean to the babies she was waiting for.
This morning, we have **4** TJ chicks!! Oh my. I'm excited. I don't think any more will hatch, but I could be surprised.
Loving every minute of this!
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Updating here. I can't believe it!!! The little one I thought had been attacked and eaten by the big girls is alive and well!!!!! She must have been hiding very well.
Not only that good news, but tonight when I got home, I had five new fuzzy peeps!! All are doing well and the every-so-slightly older babies are minding mom and sticking close.
The bad news is. One check was born with only one leg. The other place where her leg should be had only one toe sticking out. She/he is much smaller than the rest and there could be other issues with it. I believe I should send her to chickie heaven, but want to know what you would do in this instance. I'm trying to get the courage to do something with this one.
Thanks and I'll post pictures a little later on tonight.
I couldn't get a picture of the little one with one leg, sorry. But here are a couple pics of everybody. Bigger chicks are Golden Sexlink from Belt Hatchery via my feed store. The little tiny yellow puffs are TJ chicks.
On day 24 when nothing happened and there was no peeping from the eggs, I went to the feed store and got four cute little Golden Sexlink babies to put under the hens.
As happened last year bringing new babies into the fold, errr flock, the white chick, Mystery, was a lousy mom so the black chick, Tubby, got all three babies and raised them quite nicely. This time was no exception. Mystery refused to go into the new nest I made on the floor. So heck with her, I put her back into the her nest and left her eggs with her.
Now Tubby on the other hand, readily went downstairs and gladly accepted all four new chicks as her own. The new chicks I have to guess were already about 5-6 days old, knew how to eat and drink. But Tubby is a trooper.
Yesterday when I got home from work, I went out to the coop to make sure everybody was OK. I saw one chick that looked a little off, but when I picked it up I realized it was a brand new baby!! Wow, Trader Joe came through after all. Another eggs was squashed from mom sitting on it. Looks like it would have hatched. All was quite good, but I could only find three of the feed store chicks. The fourth was NOWHERE. I'm glad I wasn't there to see the mayhem that must have occurred when Tubby couldn't protect all of them and the fourth one is now in chickie heaven. That is the horrified part. When I put the big girls to bed, I saw a tinge of pink on one of them, confirming my suspicions. Not a trace was left of the baby anywhere. I do pray that this doesn't make the big girls cannibals. Unfortunately I do not have a way of separating Mystery and her chicks from the rest of the flock.
As of last night, two Trader Joe chicks hatched. Wow. Later on, one of the eggs under Mystery hatched. But she was pecking at it, so I took it out and gave it to Tubby. I don't understand why a hen would sit for nearly a month and then start being mean to the babies she was waiting for.
This morning, we have **4** TJ chicks!! Oh my. I'm excited. I don't think any more will hatch, but I could be surprised.
Loving every minute of this!
__________________________________________________
Updating here. I can't believe it!!! The little one I thought had been attacked and eaten by the big girls is alive and well!!!!! She must have been hiding very well.
Not only that good news, but tonight when I got home, I had five new fuzzy peeps!! All are doing well and the every-so-slightly older babies are minding mom and sticking close.
The bad news is. One check was born with only one leg. The other place where her leg should be had only one toe sticking out. She/he is much smaller than the rest and there could be other issues with it. I believe I should send her to chickie heaven, but want to know what you would do in this instance. I'm trying to get the courage to do something with this one.
Thanks and I'll post pictures a little later on tonight.
I couldn't get a picture of the little one with one leg, sorry. But here are a couple pics of everybody. Bigger chicks are Golden Sexlink from Belt Hatchery via my feed store. The little tiny yellow puffs are TJ chicks.
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