Making Babies

Post by **thegawd** » Tue May 17, 2016 9:11 am

Yeah I dont know... there was 6 inches of hay and 2 perfect bowl nest with cavities for the eggs. the 2 hens were not fighting and didnt steal the eggs from each other. my red hens are huge though, just like they are supposed to be. iv never had this happen before, it was quite upsetting. the poor chicks/eggs were flattened.

Iv had other standards hatch chicks but they are half the size. you know what maybe if the square box was turned like OC's there would be more of a cavity for eggs to rest... ya that might work Robbie!

Post by **thegawd** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:20 pm

%100 hatch rate under this here light brown leghorn hen. 10 bouncing healthy chicks! I didnt set this hatch and had no idea how many she had under her, I stopped collecting eggs after my last big incubator hatch to let them do what they do. shes a fierce force to mess with and yup stay away from her chicks. YEEEHAAAA good job! I decided to leave the rooster in after he was showing the chicks what food n water was. good rooster. I'll keep him. he just got pardoned.

I also set 56 beltsville and 21 jumbo cot eggs last sunday!

Cheers!

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:33 pm

Congratulations! Sorry about the other girls but some are good broodies ,others are lousy, size does not seem to matter.Although the smaller ones don't crush the eggs I' ll find eggs kicked out of the nest, hen sitting with only one under her. Some hen's will diligently push those eggs back under them others sit there and don't even notice.

NormaK · Post by **NormaK** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 7:06 am

cuties!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:36 am

thegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST Yeah I dont know... there was 6 inches of hay and 2 perfect bowl nest with cavities for the eggs. the 2 hens were not fighting and didnt steal the eggs from each other. my red hens are huge though, just like they are supposed to be. iv never had this happen before, it was quite upsetting. the poor chicks/eggs were flattened.

Iv had other standards hatch chicks but they are half the size. you know what maybe if the square box was turned like OC's there would be more of a cavity for eggs to rest... ya that might work Robbie!

Gawd is this the first time this has happened, have other RIR broodies successfully hatched the eggs? It's such a shame that happened have any more gone broody since?
I wonder if it's possible to have too much bedding? Chickens don't normally have nests like we make them, they are more just depressions in the ground. I'm worried now my nests are well bedded too and the eggs are all piled together in the middle. with great big cornish hens sitting on them.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:39 am

Wow, what a gorgeous rooster!

Post by **thegawd** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:48 am

Thanks Kenya, Norma n Robbie! I do have another Red sitting on some eggs, just a few. but ya that was the first red i had go broody. but I dont need anymore chickens this year. HAHA! I have more than a few!

I culled about 6 from my first hatch, nothing from the second hatch and 1 from my last hatch. yesterday I successfully combined my first 2 hatches, I was worried about the Marans chick as "she" sticks out like a sore thumb. but all was well. heres some updated pics. I didnt count them but there is somewhere around 65 in this pen.

Post by **thegawd** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:50 am

Thanks KB! I didnt have very many to choose from, he had a perfect comb and decent body shape, he is very pretty but I want to pull that white feather out! LOL!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:01 am

Gawd your RIR's are lovely! I'm wondering if your chick with the pale yellow down has the proper colour now?
I can see the lovely long back length of your RIR's .

Post by **thegawd** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:12 am

Thanks again Robbie. That chick with the pale color is in the new batch. im hoping to move that group today out to the big coop brooder. ill try n get some pics. im curious as well. but to be safe I wont breed it.