I found a great home for the BCM chicks and most left this morning. When they came to pick them up poor Goat went crazy. I ended up keeping 3 of them just so she'd have something to do, they will pick them up at a later date. She is the best mother. She's attacked me so many times, when I lean into the pen to get a dish or the waterer she jumps up and nails me. I have bruises on my arms and shoulders. I started putting her outside when I clean the pen. When I finish I open the door and she runs back in and flys back into the pen. It would have been cruel to take away all of her babies right now. I just love her, when she isn't trying to eat me, and she's been the best mom. I think she's really going to miss having 8 or 9 chicks riding on her back. It was a bittersweet morning.
Poor BroodZilla
I just checked the tracking number on the incubator, it's out on a local delivery truck so it should be here any time now, Wheeeee! I was eyeing some hatching eggs on byc auction, brilliant blue, but they went for almost $250 for 9 of them. Wow!
hope it is soon or they will fight when put back together to re establish pecking order. Not to bad when they are very small but after they are a month old it will be fight city.
That dang pecking order thing! I'm working on getting a new coop so I can keep them apart.
Annie there is no doubt about it, you are the reigning chicken drama Queen. I love reading what your doing cause it always makes me laugh...Rock on Darling...Hay
Hay, are you laughing WITH me, or..... ?? I know I'm a goof ball when it comes to my chickens LOL If you had seen poor BroodZilla crying you would have let her have a few chicks to keep too. I know you would have because you're a BIG SOFTIE!
I just set up the new incubator and am waiting to see if all the reading are as I set then. I don't understand how the auto egg turner will work since I bought a universal egg tray - they won't be sitting on the bottom of the incubator - now they sit above it on the tray. Does that mean I have to hand turn them? If so, then I'm taking the tray out! Guess I'll find out. In 10 minutes the temp is already at 99.5 and holding - the humidity at 40%. The eggs won't be here until Thursday, they can't be set until 24 hours after they arrive, right? So I have a couple days to play with the bator to make sure it's right.
Annie since I can't see your auto turner I would assume it has round holes in it. If that is correct then that should just plug in and you place the eggs in the holes with the small end down and the turner just rocks them slowly and gently back and forth. What kind of bator did you buy? Annie your no goofball, your just so darn cute with your girls and all. I love the drama, bring it on...Hay
I bought the R-Com 20. It's an auto turn. The egg tray didn't come with it but was an extra that could be purchased with it. I thought I figured it out, but guess not - I had them laying on their sides! So now I have the test egg marked and have it sitting up right in the tray - but it doesn't really sit all the way up straight, not even close.. I guess I don't understand what tilts the egg turner. I thought it was that the bottom (floor) of the bator that moved and in turn that moved the eggs. When the bator turns the eggs it makes a little jingle song but I don't see the egg move at all. The eggs will be here tomorow so I'm sweating and swearing a little even though I know they need to sit for 24 hrs.
I might be a goof ball but the chickens didn't think so this morning when I gave them a pan of oatmeal and yogurt, they think I'm A-OK LOL
Annie the Rcom 20 is made by Brinsea, correct. I had one just like that. it has the plastic that lays on the floor with divits in it for the eggs to lay in and holds around twenty eggs. Take a pencil and mark an X on one side and an O on the other. Thats the only way you can tell if the eggs are moving properly. Also your right on, the floor moves and gently rolls the eggs every hour. That is an excellent incubator. All digital and you don't need to touch anything once you place the eggs in it and shut it up. I noticed lots of times the eggs didn't turn completely over but it never made any difference they hatched wonderfully. Brinsea is top of the line, and I loved mine...Good luck darling...Hay P. S. we always got a kick out of the music, and reading the instructions was ahoot also...
Whew! Thanks! I was worried about the eggs turning so often and thought there might be a glitch. I've read that eggs should be turned 3 times a day so to me it seemed like the auto turner was going crazy.
So, it's all right that the eggs are laying on their side, right? I did mark the test egg and it is turning just fine.
The jingle startled me the first time, now I run to see what's happening LOL
This is the first time I've ever really paid any attention to the directions on anything~!
The eggs will be delivered tomorrow and I'm already mentally shopping for the next batch to hatch. THAT is why I swore I'd never get an incubator. Chicks will be coming out of our ears!
I picked out another coop finally. I'm going to have it delivered when my DH goes on his fishing trip. The color is light brown, he won't notice it for about a month.
Thanks Hay!
ROFL Annie. You sounds like me
Does Goat get to take her babiez outside too? They would probably love that! Even for a short outting, would be great for them.
So glad you got the bator and it's up and running..
Can I really let them outside for a while? It's a little windy and the high will be about 40 degrees. I would love for them to get out, Goat and Charolette, with their babies, but not together.
The people came to pick up the remaining 3 chicks that Goat has been taking care of. I wanted to do this at night but couldn't manage it with their work schedule. To say that Goat had a complete melt down when I was picking up the chicks would be an understatement. Since all the chickens are in the back yard sunning themself and fluffing I carried her out and put her down with them so I could watch. She chased the Wellies, made lots of noise to let them know the queen was back. Right now she's enjoying a sand bath. All is good!
Absolutely you can let them out! Mom will keep em warm.. It will do them a world of good to get on the dirt.. (if you have dirt and not snow) LOL
Wow.. that's hard to do.. My broody Biffy takes a week or more to get over it.. I hate that deed.. :(
It's supposed to be in the 50's this week so I'll let Charolette outside with her babies. They get a fresh dirt/grass ball every day, oh man what a mess they make and have so much fun with it.
Goat was "Goat." Even though she was fluffing she was her usual cranky self. I can't wait for her to go broody again, she was wonderful. Is it likely she will go broody again this year? Vivian, the Silkie, has yet to go broody and she's a year old.
I'd bet money goat will go broody again, and maybe again this year. Some of the broodies live just for that and being moms...Hay
Thanks, Hay. Goat was a fierce and wonderful mom, from her golf balls to the chicks she was given to raise. When she goes broody again I'll get some fertilized eggs for her to hatch.
Yup, that's what Biffy does.. She lays for a month or two, then first thing you know, there she is in a nest box somewhere with that "look" on her face. I've run her out of there a few times, just cause there was nothing for her to hatch, but she doesn't stay out long... Once she is on eggs, it's up to me to find her something to hatch cause she is stuck like glue! :)
I imagine Goat will be the same way. You are so lucky to have her.. some hens might go broody, but to be such a fierce mom is priceless! You know the chicks are safe to run outside and be safer than the ones that just hatch... She is awesome.