I may have chickies ??!!

[Kaneke]

just went out to check on broody hen, and behold ! there was a half-eggshell sitting in front of her, all nicely zipped open ... and I may have been imagining it but I *thought* I heard faint peeping the last two days ... wasn't sure if it was an echo from the seven half-banty chicks ... or something .... interesting !

can I call this IBW ? intense broody watch (though sun is going down and will soon be dark, hard to see !)

Candy

 

[chicks rule]

Congrats, any way you can get a pic of the broody???

 

[Kaneke]

wish I could post pic, but don't have digital camera, hubby doesn't know how to work camera phone and has mislaid the patch cord anyway ...

frustration ! want to share ...

 

[countryboy]

good going kaneke.
it's probably easier to use that natural incubator then one that runs on electricity and you don't have to worry about power failures or turning.
gold star to you for going green.

 

[Kaneke]

do have a pic of the hen before she went totally broody, at this point was spending time on the nest but not there all the time

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh120/Kaneke_photo/PICT4162.jpg

she's the ?wheaten? anyway blond-ish hen following the roo

right now all you can see is intensely red comb, blond laced shoulders, and the upper part of wings ....

she's under the electrical distribution box, at the corner behind the carport and next to the house --- probably the safest, driest, and warmest corner on the property

 

[Kaneke]

hen got off the nest just for a little bit, to get at the layer feed, cracked corn, and chick starter I had laid down for her and whatever was peeping

far as I can tell, we have six yellow chicks, some with faint gray spots, one dark blond chick with "chipmunk" stripes, and one dark brown chick with an auburn color head

and a bunch of eggs that haven't yet hatched ... I will go out tonight and try to remove the broken eggshells so the whole bunch will have a bit more room ... and hen can hatch out any others that are still viable

Candy

 

[Kaneke]

update ---

Blondie definitely got off the nest for extended periods, still with only 8 fluffy butts percolating around and under her

however --- Black Maria (standard mix breed hen, black with green metallic sheen, dark pink earlobes, lays cream-to-tan eggs) decided to go broody after laying 21 eggs -- however I'd been collecting them, leaving only the oldest one in the nest she chose ... so I stuck the ten unhatched but "heavy" eggs from Blondie's nest, under her ...

I suspect Maria will have a "zero" hatch, but we'll see ... giving these the best chance I can ...

meanwhile, Victoria, the silver EE who dug out of the coop with the help of Albert the roo ... seems to be laying her aquamarine eggs hither and yon ... she may not "know" about nest or nestboxes ... let them fall where they may ... she's more interested in following the roo around ... honeymooners !!

I noticed that Ideal Poultry's illustration of Red Jungle Fowl includes chicks that look just like the "orange chipmunk stripe" chick of Blondie's hatch ... hope the little fluffy butt survives to adulthood so I can see how (it) comes out ...

Candy

haven't heard from tenant Mary, what's gone on the last day and a half, miserable being "mom" from umpteen miles away