Oh Annie, I know! That magic lasts a long time too.. It's wonderful.. and it's wonderful to hear from someone else. Wait till you go out there and see a tiny lil face poking out from under mom! Talk about a natural high!!! I'm happy for you. I know your joy very well and it gives me the biggest smile to hear yours.
Broody Questions
Those pheasants are beautiful. I don't know if they have pheasants in the wild here but we do have a few wild grouse. They are very pretty.
Really, I not going to ask dumb questions every day and stress over this Broody stuff... but.... Charolette gets off the nest once a day to eat, drink and poo, two minutes tops then back to her fertilized eggs. She sleeps with her head tucked under her wing, I thought that was a sign of illness? ??
Goat has been on the nest of golf balls for 4 days and hasn't gotten off, not even once! I'm afraid she's going to explode.
Hi Annie, I just knew this was going to get to you. I must tell you my dear this teriffies all newbies when it comes to broodies. It is not uncommon, what your experiencing. I'm really trying not to laugh. The hen with her head hidden is a sign of complete trust in her environment. It has nothing to do with illness. As for Goat, well I told you not to put glue on those eggs. Don't worry about Goat, can't you just see how happy she is. Why should she desert a good thing...Seriously, stop worrying. They are just doing whats natural...Honest...Hay
LOL, Glue??? Goat sure sticks to them like glue. She hasn't moved in 4 days. Whew, I'm so worried about them either exploding or dying of dehydration. I've been true to my word and let them alone as promised. It's been hard but I'm staying away. THANK YOU my dear friend!!!!! I feel better now LOL Who knew 21 days could drag out forever?
OH Annie: Thats the price you pay for loving them so much. It's not funny but then again it is funny. It is such a prize to see how much people can love their chickens, I remember Donna (Green) when she first started out, she was so much like you and it was so much fun listening to her and watching her and hubby building their large coop. Have fun sweetie, have fun...Hay
Yes Annie Hay is right and as time goes on and you learn from experience you do let the chickens take care of everything, believe me they know what they are doing.LOL I still worry sometimes,like Friday I was out getting the eggs and there was a lot of blood from someone so I started looking and one of my EE`S had a lot of blood comming from her backside so I scooped her up and took her in the house and hollered to dh I need help,so into the sink she went to get sprayed off with warm water to see what the damage was,looked like egg bound,so cleaned her up dryed her with the hair dryer then put blue cote on her so they would not pick at her and back out to the coop she went,nect day found an egg with blue cote on it so she had layed the egg thnakfully.Now if that had been a couple years ago I would spased big time! but you do get used to these things and you will to.I still worry over them like I do my dog or any other animal I would have because I love animals,but the enjoyment that out animals gives us outwieghts the bad.Just wait untill you see those new babies they are so cute,and the mother knows exactly what to do so don`t worry.
Also, I'm not sure exactly what happens, but I AM sure that their lil system slows down, and doesn't require much food, water, etc.. We are the ones that suffer, not the hens..
Remember, we put human emotions on it.. so if they could think like we do, imagine what they are thinking? They are probably looking at us thinking, what is wrong with my human owner? She is walkin around acting so wierd! Why does she keep staring at me? Do I have something hanging out of my nose? What's wrong with that woman!!
LOL
OOOh, that was so good ZZ's, made me laugh.
I can't imagine ever being completely comfortable with it as I'm a worrier. But, I have been staring at them less and less. Now on to the next part, how to candle the eggs? There are 6 Wheaten Marans and 1 mutt. It will be very difficult to see through the egg color. I have visions of exploding eggs - the ones not developing should be tossed out, right? In case they're all duds I have 24 day olds (12 BCM, 10 Wheatons and 2 light sussex) coming later this month. - mostly for Goat who is sitting on golf balls. Wheeeee I'm so excited!!!!
OH WAIT... I do have another question. I should still be feeding the baby chicks medicated chick feed even though mom will be eating it too, right???
When mine were born in the coop with the mother I did not feed medicated only when I got chicks and raised them myself I fed medicated.When they hatched out in the coop I feed start and grow so mom could eat it to.
Chicks hatched out and raised in controlled environment do not need the medication. The ones that need it are the ones raised with mom and have come in contact with infected birds.
I never used Medicated with any of my chicks, whether raised with mom or apart from mom. I'm not suggesting what others should do but if I bought from the hatchery which I did a lot they were all vaccinated. If I let the broodies hatch or hatched my own I never used medicated and must say it has gone well for me. I don't expect others to think the same way though...Hay
I think it's exact opposite kenboy. In a controlled environment, is when they need the medicated feed. They are not exposed to dirt, where Cocci is.. and they cannot build their own immunity to it.
A chick with it's mom doesn't get cocci.. they are exposed and mom shows them what to eat.. that's also why babiez raised by mom never get pasty butt.
The medicated feed helps guard them from getting the disease... but I don't believe in medicating something unless it's sick.
Dirt and grass in the brooder works better than medicine for me. I think it is vital that mom gets her babiez on dirt as soon as they are able to eat and drink and travel.. :)
Annie... let the mom show you which ones are not developing.. She will kick out an egg that is no good. I doubt an egg will explode under her. :) Dark eggs are so hard to candle.. I'd leave it up to her if it were me.
As for the day olds.. don't count on being able to foster them with a broody.. For one, by the time they get to you, they are usually more than a day old.. and they won't know what mom is for... That is very "iffy" at best.
We just had the conversation on why antibiotics, given orally, are bad for poultry, on a different thread. It destroys the bacteria in the gut and causes yeast overgrowth. The chicken may not to be able to digest their food properly afterward.
Just had to add that in case someone missed it.
We all have our opinions, and one way is not always the right way for everyone.
Zzz I actually learned to give my dogs and cats injections. It was very VERY difficult for me. Took me about two years of practicing on an orange... yes, an orange. Jab it in, inject, pull it out straight.
There is something about these walls in our minds and lines we do not wish to cross, those forbidden places. Sticking a needle in an animal was one of those places, something I thought I could never do. We had umpteen cats and dogs that needed vaccines. So, I really HAD to, so I did. After the first few times it really wasn't that big of a deal.
Maybe it would be that way with killing a chicken to eat too, or selling or giving them away. I haven't crossed those lines yet. Those walls are still up for me. Not that I don't want to cross them. I do.
I'm not counting on Goat to foster the new day olds, if she does, great, if not I'll gladly take over the job. I remember, and have it written down in my chicken notebook, the advice you gave about the scoop of grass and dirt in the brooder. 5 star advice because it really works, thanks again!
I'm going to have a problem with the chicks getting outside with mom, it's COLD here. We;ll have several days this week with the highs in the single digits - factor in the wind chill and it'll be well below zero. Not sure how I'll handle that part yet. I'm working on a simple pen so I can put them out for a few minutes at a time - but not during this kind of weather, too dangerous. You are so lucky to be in CA!
That is a relief to know I won't have to candle the eggs! Charolette is pretty agressive when I get in her pen to give her fresh water & food. She eats so little I really hate to do anything that stresses her out and causes her to burn calories. If the eggs were fertile the hatch date is two weeks from today! I can't say that without jumping up and down LOL. YeeHaw!
OH Lordy, I can just see this woman on hatch day. Annie mom won't take them outside if it's two cold for them. When she does the will walk underneath her for all the warmth they want. If they come out from under her they will go right back as soon as the want heat. They work wonderfully together...Trust mom, she knows exactly what she is doing...Hay...P. S. I have had three day olds in the snow with mom and trust me it doesn't last but seconds...LOL
Thats right hay when those little fluff balls start screaming cause they are cold she will take them back in or sit down so they can under her.I am so excited for you Annie,can`t wait for pictures
Ok, I'm going to be a wreck on Hatch Day. But, I'm staying out of it, if they hatch they hatch, if not, well that's the way it goes. However, my calendar is clear on that day so I can stay home and pace. I'll be just as nervous as when the day olds are delivered for Goat to possibly foster. Hey, this is all new to me LOL and I love it! Never say never... I'm seriously thinking of getting an incubator... any suggestions on a brand name with auto egg turner that holds about 24 to 30 eggs - not that I'll ever fill it up all the way :-)
I swear I'm leaving the Broody's alone - but 8 days without going potty?? I took her off the golf balls and put her outside where she exploded in less than 10 seconds, it was nasty and smelled gross, she got a lot of it on herself and even 2 ft behind her. She kept straining and a few drops of blood came out. I washed her off and then carefully cleaned out her blockage problem, there was an unbelievable amount. Yuck. She got dried off and the heat lamp put next to her crate. She jumped back on her golf balls.
I can't even tell anyone (nonchicken) about this because they won't believe it, and they'll look at me funny too.
Annie, you are so cute. Reading your posts gives me the biggest smile.. :) I can't wait for your hatch day too..
If you can put a clump of dirt and grass in with them, mom will show them what to eat, she will probably pick at it and get them goin on it.. even just mud.. really.. :)
Being lucky to be in CA is debatable..