Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Teila]

Good morning friends

Hey devinandfeather, loved the video of your geese, so beautiful and healthy looking.

appps I am sorry to read of your dramas with the little one and it’s cord but pleased to also read that it is OK.

Then the follow up dramas with Penny not accepting them

Your little ones are adorable!

I have been following a thread [only recently started] about little Joey who is a brat! It is kinda cute:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1023552/the-adventures-of-joey

Well done on the emergency brooder!

Fancy I do love that pic of LG and always smile at just how unimpressed he looks!

Anniebee with purchased fertile eggs, I believe the usual cut off point for giving them to a broody is around the 10 day mark. I ordered a batch of fertile eggs from someone who I later learned had never posted eggs before and with an additional delay in postal delivery some of the ones sent to me were laid 14-16 days previous and I did not take the risk and they were not given to my broody.

Having said that, I have read stories of people keeping fertile eggs in the fridge for a month, giving them to their broody and having them hatch [I confess to being a little sceptical on that one and probably will not believe it unless I see it for myself].

It is not always the age of the egg and can sometimes be a dirty egg causing bacteria.

I am lucky enough to not have experienced an exploding egg (touch wood) but not only would they not smell the best and make a mess of the nest, broody, incubator etc; I believe that the remaining eggs are at risk of becoming infected from being covered in the bacterial ooze and/or suffocated.

locknest4 having had a broody raise chicks, I have not experienced having to get them to go into the coop at night but I have with older, purchased pullets and I have found that after a couple of nights of herding them into the coop or waiting until they settle and then putting them in the coop, they work it out.

Is there a ramp into the coop? With my chicks they have no dramas working out how to get down the ramp of a morning but cannot seem to grasp how to get back up it at night so while they definitely want to get in the coop, cannot work out how Again, after some help from me, they work it out in a few days.

 

[satay]

Good morning friends 

Hey devinandfeather, loved the video of your geese, so beautiful and healthy looking.

appps I am sorry to read of your dramas with the little one and it’s cord but pleased to also read that it is OK.

Then the follow up dramas with Penny not accepting them 

Your little ones are adorable! 

I have been following a thread [only recently started] about little Joey who is a brat!  It is kinda cute:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1023552/the-adventures-of-joey

Well done on the emergency brooder!

Fancy I do love that pic of LG and always smile at just how unimpressed he looks! 

Anniebee with purchased fertile eggs, I believe the usual cut off point for giving them to a broody is around the 10 day mark.  I ordered a batch of fertile eggs from someone who I later learned had never posted eggs before and with an additional delay in postal delivery some of the ones sent to me were laid 14-16 days previous and I did not take the risk and they were not given to my broody.

Having said that, I have read stories of people keeping fertile eggs in the fridge for a month, giving them to their broody and having them hatch [I confess to being a little sceptical on that one and probably will not believe it unless I see it for myself].

It is not always the age of the egg and can sometimes be a dirty egg causing bacteria.

I am lucky enough to not have experienced an exploding egg (touch wood) but not only would they not smell the best and make a mess of the nest, broody, incubator etc; I believe that the remaining eggs are at risk of becoming infected from being covered in the bacterial ooze and/or suffocated.

locknest4 having had a broody raise chicks, I have not experienced having to get them to go into the coop at night but I have with older, purchased pullets and I have found that after a couple of nights of herding them into the coop or waiting until they settle and then putting them in the coop, they work it out.

Is there a ramp into the coop?  With my chicks they have no dramas working out how to get down the ramp of a morning but cannot seem to grasp how to get back up it at night so while they definitely want to get in the coop, cannot work out how   Again, after some help from me, they work it out in a few days.

I did an experiment a few years ago for my old neighbour from Malaysia who wanted to hatch some eggs he had in the fridge. I said they wouldn't hatch but he insisted so to humour him I put a dozen in the Bator. He told me they had been in the fridge 2 weeks. Much to my surprise 6 out of 12 hatched. It is not something I would recommend people do but he did prove me wrong on that one.

 

[Teila]

I did an experiment a few years ago for my old neighbour form Malaysia who wanted to hatch some eggs he had in the fridge. I said they wouldn't hatch but he insisted so to humour him I put a dozen in the Bator. He told me they had been in the fridge 2 weeks. Much to my surprise 6 out of 12 hatched. It is not something I would recommend people do but he did prove me wrong on that one.

Wow, well there ya go; while I said "a little sceptical on that one and probably will not believe it unless I see it for myself" .. I believe you satay

That is amazing!

I think I mentioned before a thread where the OP mentioned she had washed the eggs in diluted bleach, popped them in the fridge and after 4 weeks they still hatched.

I am happy to be proved wrong

 

[ChristieB]

I recently hatched 3 chicks out of refrigerated eggs, I set 5, 1 was clear and another I dropped they were 2 weeks old when I set them, had been in the fridge till a couple days before then.

As for giving the chicks to the hen, when I gave chicks to cho I covered the chick completely with my hand so she couldn't see them, and gave them one at a time with an hour or so between them. It was day time because I couldn't afford to wait till night, the first 2, a 3 day old and a 1.5 week old went brilliant, the last 3 I got lazy and didn't cover them just put them in and she refused to have them near her. I'd try putting them under your hen again hold them so they are completely covered in your hand and shove them right under, not just under her wing, give her the sensation of a hatching chick.

 

[appps]

I recently hatched 3 chicks out of refrigerated eggs, I set 5, 1 was clear and another I dropped they were 2 weeks old when I set them, had been in the fridge till a couple days before then.

As for giving the chicks to the hen, when I gave chicks to cho I covered the chick completely with my hand so she couldn't see them, and gave them one at a time with an hour or so between them. It was day time because I couldn't afford to wait till night, the first 2, a 3 day old and a 1.5 week old went brilliant, the last 3 I got lazy and didn't cover them just put them in and she refused to have them near her. I'd try putting them under your hen again hold them so they are completely covered in your hand and shove them right under, not just under her wing, give her the sensation of a hatching chick.

Did you manage to get the last three in on a second try?

 

[Fancychooklady]

I recently hatched 3 chicks out of refrigerated eggs, I set 5, 1 was clear and another I dropped they were 2 weeks old when I set them, had been in the fridge till a couple days before then.

As for giving the chicks to the hen, when I gave chicks to cho I covered the chick completely with my hand so she couldn't see them, and gave them one at a time with an hour or so between them. It was day time because I couldn't afford to wait till night, the first 2, a 3 day old and a 1.5 week old went brilliant, the last 3 I got lazy and didn't cover them just put them in and she refused to have them near her. I'd try putting them under your hen again hold them so they are completely covered in your hand and shove them right under, not just under her wing, give her the sensation of a hatching chick.

Yep that's the way I've done it and if you can get the chick up under the wing it is less inclined to wander back out. I do it at daytime , but only because I prefer to be present and keep a close eye on them, just in case I need to intervene. It's worth another try.

 

[RodneyRooster]

Depends how much of the egg sack has been absorbed . Don't pull at it , once it has absorbed it will fall off and the chord will shrivel up and drop off. If you've got the brooder ready you might need to separate it from the others till it does.

Do you remember my little guy in the egg cup ? I kept him in there under heat for an entire day , till he had absorbed the remainder of the yolk.

awwww thats is about the cutest little picture ever!!!! And what a clever idea! How did he go in the long run?

Well after the dramas of their first night in the coop (after catching them and putting them in), I went out this morning to find them all healthy and sprawled on th sawdust. Moved them to onto the lawn for a small green run. Will move them back into coop again tonight. They were panting from the heat so I gave them a light hose down, which hasn't endeared me to them again:/
Has anyone any advise on how to get the idea that the "coop is where they go at night" into their feather heads?

Dont know if u can shut the night area off? If i move/introduce the chooks to a new place i leave them locked up in that area for 24-48 hours so they get used to sleeping there. If theyve just decided to sleep in the run because uve added it ull have to keep moving them until they get the idea i guess.

Bummer. I have 7 can you believe it all at once 7 broody aussies and a total of 16 broodies in the layer pen. I could send you down a few if you like. Some will take babies and some wont.. I only every use a normal globe on a thermostat for my brooder. .

Wow thats a lot of broodies!

I recently hatched 3 chicks out of refrigerated eggs, I set 5, 1 was clear and another I dropped they were 2 weeks old when I set them, had been in the fridge till a couple days before then.

As for giving the chicks to the hen, when I gave chicks to cho I covered the chick completely with my hand so she couldn't see them, and gave them one at a time with an hour or so between them. It was day time because I couldn't afford to wait till night, the first 2, a 3 day old and a 1.5 week old went brilliant, the last 3 I got lazy and didn't cover them just put them in and she refused to have them near her. I'd try putting them under your hen again hold them so they are completely covered in your hand and shove them right under, not just under her wing, give her the sensation of a hatching chick.

Very clever idea!

Great work on the temporary area apps!

Yeah i met someone who always refridgerate their eggs. Someone i could have sworn said FREEZES them... ***!? I definitely wouldnt.

 

[appps]

Thanks Christie and fancy. I wasn't game to try again because I was worried I'd wake up to two dead chicks. That you did during the day sounds safer for a second try, I like that I can keep an eye on her that way.

I'll give it an hour for her to settle back on the nest because I had locked her off thinking no need to stay now then try again. I'll do one at a time this go too, both at once was probably asking for problems.

 

[Teila]

Thanks Christie and fancy. I wasn't game to try again because I was worried I'd wake up to two dead chicks. That you did during the day sounds safer for a second try, I like that I can keep an eye on her that way.

I'll give it an hour for her to settle back on the nest because I had locked her off thinking no need to stay now then try again. I'll do one at a time this go too, both at once was probably asking for problems.

 

[Fancychooklady]

awwww thats is about the cutest little picture ever!!!! And what a clever idea! How did he go in the long run?
Dont know if u can shut the night area off? If i move/introduce the chooks to a new place i leave them locked up in that area for 24-48 hours so they get used to sleeping there. If theyve just decided to sleep in the run because uve added it ull have to keep moving them until they get the idea i guess.
Wow thats a lot of broodies!
Very clever idea!

Great work on the temporary area apps!

Yeah i met someone who always refridgerate their eggs. Someone i could have sworn said FREEZES them... ***!? I definitely wouldnt.

He's an absolute sweetheart . The only way I can tell him apart from King George is the length of his Spurs. KG won't allow LG in the coop so he sleeps in the pony shelter and he still allows me to run my hand down his back and ruffle his tail feathers. He is also a bit heavier than his dad.