Eggs have hatched

My little broody hen has been successful. She has hatched the big stock eggs I "traded" her for hers. I had moved her and her whole nest a few days ago from the chicken pen into a large dog crate inside the barn. She was nesting in a milk crate tied to the pen fence. Because of the awful weather we have been having, there is an ice rink in my chicken pen covering most of the pen. I knew if she hatched the chicks in there they would die so I made the choice to move the nest. The move didn't bother her in the least and she went right back to work. When I was feeding her today I could hear the peeps of the chicks and I could see her feathers moving as they jostled for position under her. I am very curious to see what they look like and if all the eggs have hatched but I would not make her get up because it is so cold. I will keep you posted.

This message was edited Feb 4, 2009 11:01 PM

Cajun: I'm so happy for you, and what a good chicky caretaker you are. It's so exciting when you own hen broods her new babies. I'm so tickled for you. Look forward to future posts concerning the babies. Haystack

Thats terrific! Congrats and hope you get to see them soon(pics?) ☺

How exciting! I bet it was hard not to want to peek... I can imagine how thrilling that would be.. Congratulations!

I really had to control myself. But it was sooo cold.

Congrats Cajun.. cant wait for the pix.

hi all
congrats cajun
i can hardly wait until this spring went i going to hatch my egg
iwill let some of my hen do it too
elle

She reallu suprised me. She was a pullet that had only been laying for 3 weeks when she went broody. I know it's not the best time for chicks but I didn't want to discourage her.

Congrats!!!! I am indeed proud of that little girl!
Mother of the year!! wooohooo!

A little update on the hatch. Today she had rolled out an egg that was not good. It had a crack al the way around and a partially formed chick inside but it was rotten. When she backed up on the nest I could see she still has 2 unhatched eggs. Don't know if they are good or not but she will either roll them out or leave them so I'm not going to bother her for them. She has 2 chicks. They finally came out from under her when they thought we were gone. They came out to get a drink. Guess I need to start putting some chick starter in with her and them. One of the chicks is black with some yellow on it's head. The other is yellow so I'm thinking it must be a White Rock. All the eggs were brown. Do White Rocks lay brown eggs?

Here is the best pic I could get. Had to take it while hiding in the horse stall next door. LOL Look right behind the water dish. You can also see one of the eggs still under the hen.

COOL!!! They are so cute!! What a good mom!

Cute lil chicky baby! What a good mom. She looks so proud sitting on her eggs. :-)
Hey, did you take my dog carrier!lol! We've got one just like that.

Today was warm enough to bother her a bit so I could get some good pics and so I could get a look at the the remaining eggs. Both were rotten so the pigs got a "treat".
They actually savored the nasty things. Guess that's why they're pigs. Anyhoo, here are the pics I got of the two chicks. I hope they are both pullets. I thought of getting some more eggs to put under her but decided I would give her a rest. She is young. I will keep her and the chicks in the crate in the barn until I can trust the weather and until the chicks are big enough not to slip through the wire on the chicken yard. The barn cats would have them for a snack in no time.

I thought this one was really cute. "Hey Mom, what is that big thin with one eye that keeps shooting us with the bright light?"

hi all
they are so cute
elle

That black looks like my barred rock, sex-link, and a few others of that ilk...any idea where she got her cuties? I've had a few yellows hatch out, thought they might be throwbacks from the Rhode Island Red in BSLs but who knows?! Know nothing about white rocks...

The black one is big!!! They are so cute. I am glad you are having a stretch of warmer weather! woohoo!!

I think the black one must be a dominique and the yellow one must be a white rock. The friend I got the eggs from has those tow flavors along with RIRs and white leghorn. The eggs were huge and brown shelled. I know they could not have come from the WL so that only leaves the other 3. His roo is a Dominique. Huge fellow.I wish all 5 eggs had been fertile.

I almost bought me a bator at the TSC yesterday but I held off. It was priced at $42 without the turner. The turner was sold seperately and it was also $42. I think I will get the bator and turn the eggs myself. It will hold 40 eggs with the turner or 120 without.

Sounds right to me, Cajun.

I dont have a turner either. I dont mind turning them. (Unless I had a huge amount.) Then all the heat would be gone by time I got to the last egg.

Thought you might like to see how the chicks have grown. They are doing well. I'm going to put the hen back out in the chicken yard as soon as the cold weather is passed. I am leaving her with them for now so she can keep them warm. She started laying again yesterday. My duck also started laying day before yesterday but I didn't get an egg today from her. I picked up my first egg from one of my Mac Creas today but it is from the hen that hasn't been with the roo. I'll put him with her tomorrow night.

Cajun: I love the pic's of the little ones. Last month I got an order of forty-five, and only four were alive when I received them. I ordered red sexlink, americaunas, and Cuckoo marans. The four that lived are black with that small yellow spot on the head just like yours. I am sure curious now since you never mentioned any of the breeds that I ordered, and yet mine look just like yours. WOW!! Haystack.

They are so cute. The one looks barred rock or cockoo maran. They have gotten so big! So sweeet!!

I put the hen and her 2 chicks out in the pen with the others yesterday. I'm afraid I have 2 roos. Give them a look and tell me what you think.

Here is the dominique.

And here is the white plymoth rock.

How old are they again? I dont see waddles yet and no color in the comb. I can always tell my roos by the early coloring in combs and waddles. I bet some of these pros have a better idea. They sure are beautiful. ;)

They made 6 weeks old yesterday.

Here they are with mom. I wonder if she realizes they are far bigger than any child of hers should be? LOL

Trey was crowing like he had everything to do with it when in truth he had nothing to do with it.

hehehe Trey is nice looking though. I still wouldnt give up hope on hens. I dont see any coloring in the comb and no visible signs of waddles. Give it a bit more time. Anyone else have a guess??

I sure hope you are right. I need some big stock layers. If they are roos, I will eat them. I don't have room for another pen. LOL

Thinking hen, thinking hen... hehehe

hi all
hope they are hen
elle

Hi Elle!! Nice to see you again.

hi all
we are getting a doz egg to put in the bator
do you put the point end up
it will be still air
elle

Mine are laying on their sides because I don't have a tray of any kind. Just a sreen to lay them on. I have an X on one side and an O on the other so I know when they have all been turned.

ok

If you are putting them on their sides--the big end will naturally be slightly elevated. If you put them in a carton or automatic egg turner, make sure the big end is up. That is where the air cell is and they will need to break into that to breath while they are hatching.

Point down right? I dont have a rack but I think I am going to use the cartons tipped next time.

Yep, point side down...if you can't tell (some eggs are rounder), if you check at 5-6 days you can usually see the air cell at one end and that is the "big end" that goes up.