June 18 is going to be a big day for us - that's the day that the baby chicks are expected to hatch!!! Yes, we are going to have chicks!
We have had so many broody hens. Most of them get over it after a month, but dear Bella has been broody for over 2 months now. Poor girl. And Zoner came back into season - she was broody a month, took a month off, now is broody again. So, we gave in.
We kept 1 day of eggs from 28 May- that's 10 eggs. We have 13 hens, so that means only 1 hen other than Bella & Zoner didn't give us an egg. Bella & Zoner, being broody, don't lay anymore. The other hen that didn't lay that day was Freckles. Freckles is the original momma hen. Zoner & Bella, sisters, are daughters of Freckles, so we still have some Freckles genes in our flock. Freckles is older and doesn't give us an egg a day like the younger pullets. We may get an egg every few days from Freckles. So, that should give us a good mix of genes in the new chicks. It will be interesting to see what they look like.
Here's a pic of the flock taken back on 09 May. This was back when we had 2 guinea hens. Zoner is the white bird on the left with the puffy face, Freckles is the white bird beside her.
My fav roo, Leggy. I hope we get some leghorn chicks.
The most friendly hen is Lucy. She is my fav hen, she is so sweet.
Big Red, one of the roosters.
We divided up the 10 eggs, put 5 under Zoner and 5 under Bella. They both are so happy, so proud. Bella is a little mean, she pecks us when we check her eggs, and her pecks have started breaking the skin. Zoner is very gentle, but sometimes I find Zoner running around the chicken pen like a crazy hen, and her eggs are left unattended in the nest in the coop. I don't know how long she leaves the eggs, but I touch them and they are not warm, but room temperature. Can eggs handle that? Zoner eventually returns to the coop and sits on her eggs again. Zoner's a little spacey like that, she always has been.
Here we are in the baby room. No roosters allowed near the nest boxes. The roosters look at the hens while they sit, but they don't come close. Here's Zoner on the left, Bella on the right, both sitting on their eggs.
I can't wait for the babies - these will be the first chicks from my hens.
15 comments:
I was hoping you had a male guinea and you could slip some eggs under these ladies. Chickens make better moms than guineas in my experience.
Leaving the nest will not hurt the eggs, the hens do have to get a drink and such.
You have a wonderful looking flock. Good luck on your hatching.
So cute. Don't worry about Zonner being off the nest. The eggs will probably be just fine.
Be sure not to pick up the eggs after day 17---at that point the chicks are setting up to hatch and it has something to do with the air sac and them breathing.
Take lots of pictures when they hatch. :)
Baby chicks! How exciting! I hope Zoner's make it! Does the heat affect the chickens? -It's awfully hot here today, so it must be hotter there!
That's very exciting news! I really need to get my nest boxes in because we should be having eggs soon too. I'm also hoping for some broody hens. :)
I hope each momma hatches a nice Brood of babies. A Hen with chicks is the greatest part of having chickens.
~~Matt~~
What a fun announcement! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for lots of cute chicks! I still can't figure out why my flock of 10 hens, that have been with me for over 2 years now, has not had a single girl go broody.
Had to laugh at your description of Zoner running around like a crazy hen. I can picture that so well. :-)
That last pic of Zoner has me laughing out loud. What a look! Hilarious.
How exciting that you are going to have babies running around soon.
All your roosters are gorgeous. So colorful.
Gail - I didn't know chickens make better moms than guineas - that's good to know! We've been looking for guinea keets, and have been planning on slipping them under the broody hens when we get them.
CeeCee - Thanks for the info! I didn't know... I will not pick up the eggs after the second week.
Barb - The chickens like it warm, but not hot. We put a fan in the coop for them. Do you think we spoil them just a little bit?? :)
Leigh - Yes, yours will be having eggs before you know it! Ours started laying at 4 months.
~Lynn
Matt - I thought the eggs were the best part of chickens! I have alot to learn & experience with chickens! I'm really looking forward to the babies!
Danni - I cannot believe that none of your hens has gone broody! WOW! I've had so many go broody already, I can't even keep track of which of them did! I know Zoner is in her second cycle, Bella just wont get over it, and others all had their cycles for a few weeks up to a month & then one day they were back to being normal chickens again. Maybe it has something to do with our locations, you in the northwest, me in the east? That's an interesting question... We both have roosters... Hmmm, I'll be thinking about this question now...
Cindy - Zoner is the funniest looking chicken, with her puffy face. She always looks like such a goof-ball. And she acts like a goof-ball, too. Half the time she's in her own world, doesn't know what's going on around her. The other half the time she's running around like a mad hen, going a thousand miles an hour around the pen. I don't think she's the sharpest tool in the shed! I hope she makes a good mother hen! I think Bella may steal all Zoner's babies, and Zoner probably wont notice...
~Lynn
What a perfect name for Zoner (zoned out). LOL! I hope you get lots of baby chicks. I think they're so sweet and adorable. You have quite a few roosters too. Do they get along? I had always heard that you can't have more than one because they will fight.
How very exciting for you Lynn!
Genny - Yes, Zoner is always in a zone. But she's so sweet.
Our roosters all were raised with each other & have established a "pecking order" just like the hens have. Only the roosters' "pecking order" seems to always be changing, one week one roo is king, the next week, another is the boss. I think the boys' moods are more based on their hormones. The hens' pecking order seems to always stay pretty much the same. I have learned alot about chickens in the past 7 months.
~Lynn
Thanks, Robin! Yes, I'm excited!
THis is wonderful! Lucky you!! I really want to do this sometime, but we don't even have a rooster right now. I hope the chicks hatch on schedule and do well. Hooray!
Knatolee - I have too many roosters, and you don't have one! I wish I could give you one of mine, I'd let you have your pick - but we are on the opposites sides of the world!
~Lynn
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