The Dogmother Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I just hope that they're fertile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Oh how exciting Clare. Fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 Eeek. This morning I look out of the kitchen window and the girls are both in the little run bit and I can see an egg! So I run down and pick it up, it's still warm so I pop in back in the nest. Then I see a suspicious gunk. One of the eggs has cracked and it has green smelly stuff oozing out. I assumed that this meant it was bad, so I threw it away. I hope I was right, but it really smelled bad. The one that I put nail varnish on has also cracked some more, but didn't look like it was oozing, so I left it in case it was hatching. It's day 19 and I''m excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Apparently, if they have bacteria in them the eggs can explode This may have been what happened to yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 It's day 22 and no pipping. Pretty much given up on it now, so trying to find some day old chicks, which so isn't going to happen in London. Really disappointed and quite fed up with the misses 'I want to have babies, I want to have babies'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 So sorry to hear your news aunty e, are you sure that the chicks have died? I am going to candle ours this evening if I have time. I'll do it when Rosei si still up, so that she can see it happening. I hope that the barnvelder eggs are fertile, but I'm not holding my breath after Lesley's lot weren't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 I'm not sure, but I have had two exploders. I'm not going to take them out until there's no chance, but I don't really want to candle again as it means taking them indoors for me to do it. Going to call Freightliners city farm now anyway in a hunt for day olds. It's slightly the wrong time of year though really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 Well I'm completely grossed out. Yesterday was day 23 so I went round the city farms to get some hatching eggs for them to try again with, this time with better hygiene and so on. Anyway, when I got home one of penny's eggs was hatching! So I leave them to it. this morning, kitty was sat on penny's eggs and pecking at the shell surrounding a dead chick. It ws fully formed and last night it was definitely pipping, I could hear it. I've no idea what she did, if anything, or if chicks just die sometimes when they're hatching. Anyway, we're thinking that perhaps only penny should be allowed to hatch eggs, as she seems more settled and a lot cleaner. Any ideas? I've got to go and clean it up in a sec, put I'm putting it off, poor little chick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Oh poor you . Chicks do die while hatching if they just aren't strong enough for the huge effort required so it may not have been the fault of your hen at all. The disappointment must be enormous though after all that time and the inevitable high expectations . I don't want to dampen your spirits any further, but are you sure it's a good idea to start with hatching eggs again when they've already been sitting for so long. They might stay broody for another three weeks, but they also might get fed up part way through, which will be another enormous let down for you Other things to consider are the fact that broodies lose condition while sitting, so being broody for prolonged periods isn't that good for them. Also the weather as it's very nearly autumn - cooler conditions might put them off broodiness and any chicks hatched will be facing colder/wetter/windier weather unless you can comfortably raise them under cover? Please don't let me put you off if it's what you want to do - I am most definitely not judging you. Infact one of mine is showing signs of broodiness again and I am soooooo tempted to get some eggs for her. Whatever you decide to do, the very best of luck to you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 I think I will put some more eggs under Penny. Kitty is still madly brooding, but I think she just isn't very good at it. She seems to be incredibly dirty all the time and she did poo on the eggs occasionally. She's back in the eglu now, and I shall dunk her every day (she smells, so it can't hurt) until she gives up. The problem is (and I'm not sure I can take any more of this) that I went to clear out dead baby chick, and found that penny had moved it to the run bit of the ark. Very sensible I'm sure, but meant that I couldn't just pull out the shoe box with everything in and throw it away. So I got out the little chick, no peck marks or blood, just dead, perfectly formed. Then I went to move penny's other eggs. I picked on up, and it cheeped at me. I nearly dropped the bally thing I can tell you. Anyway, I turn it around and there's this slightly bloody head poking out and peeping at me for all it's worth. I put it back in and shut the door and hyperventilate for a bit. Penny was completely ignoring it and I wasn't sure (still not) if blood is involved in hatching. So I left them to it and when I got back 8 hours later it had knocked off a little more shell and was cheeping still. Same thing this morning, cheeping away and more of the shell has gone. But it's been hatching since saturday night (when it first pipped) and it's been poking it's head out now for 16 hours or so. I'm worried it's taking too long. I dribbled a tiny bit of water on the membrane in case it got too leathery as a lot of it is exposed now, but Penny seems to have decided she is interested in the chick after all, and is sitting on it quite ferociously. I have to lure her out with bird seed to have a look at it. Also, she seems to turn the egg when she sits down, so that the chicks head is against the floor, is this normal? I'm so stressed. I didnt' sign up for green exploding eggs, or dead chicks or blood or gore or 16 hour births. I really hope this one survives, but even if this one doesn't, I'm now wondering whether I really want to put more eggs under Penny. Fluffy chicks are great, but I'm not going to be able to eat eggs for weeks after yesterday. Fingers crossed anyway, OH is going to look in occasionally (as we have yet to buy chick crumb. well it was day 24 by the time they started hatching.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Keeping everything crossed for you Are you allowed to help them out when they start to hatch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 There's an article in this month's Practical Poultry about assisted hatching - not for the faint hearted. It very much depends what school of thought you subscribe to - nature knows best or lending a helping hand - or somewhere in between! I can't honestly say what I would do in your shoes - it's one thing to sit here at my keyboard and offer text-book words of wisdom, but it's another completely when you're faced with the reality. I'm keeping everything very firmly crossed for your chick Aunty E. Here's some text-book speak for you ... hatching can certainly be delayed by a disturbance, like the eggs going cold for a short while and some people leave their eggs for 25 days before giving up on them. Sorry for not keeping up with this thread Aunty E, but I don't know what you've been doing routine wise for your broodies, so please ignore the next bit if it's not applicable to you. They need to get off the nest at least once a day to poop - many do this for themselves, but others need to be lifted off and shut out for 15 minutes or so. Also, it's not advisable to feed pellets while they are sitting - just mixed corn as it's meant to be "cleaner"??? I was more worried about mine eating and drinking than fouling the nest as she left her rather enormous "messages" in the run! I just put a bowl of corn and water within reach of the nest for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Sorry, forgot to add the bit about Kitty. Maybe you shouldn't discourage her just yet incase Penny gives up part way through? At least you'll have a substitute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 Both kitty and Penny came off the nest by themselves to poop, but Kitty seemed to do it in the nest too. One option might be to lift her off as well once a day as well. I haev been feeding them pellets, as corn is a bit hard to get hold of. I've found a supplier now, so if I go again, I'll be a bit better prepared. My last update on chick was that it is still cheeping. I've told duncan not to look unless Penny is in the run as I don't think she needs any more disturbances. I have the article from practical poultry, but I'm really not wanting to interfere while it's still making progress. If it hadn't moved at all, I might consider it, but as it is gradually losing more and more shell, I'm happier to let nature take its course. I'm feeling a bit bad about taking the other eggs out, but I was pretty sure none of them were going to hatch, as I left them for another day after the first two pipped and there was nothing. No tapping or anything, and I checked them all for cracks and so on. Anyway I shall keep you all informed (and my mum, and my colleagues and my flatmates). Think positive thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Positive vibes coming your way Aunty e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 We have a chick. And one very anxious mummy hen. Please continue to keep your fingers crossed that it makes it through the next couple of days. I've packed OH off to get chick crumb and it's got a little chick drinker in with it already, although every time it pokes its head out Penny pecks it until it goes back in. So I don't imagine she'll let it out until it's dried off and big enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 That is such great news Do keep us informed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Brilliant news - THANK YOU!!! Everything still crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 oooo! Left work early and ran home to look at chick (line manager thinks I'm mad) and penny has it sitting under her wing. Don't know what it is because I took pot luck on some bantam eggs, so could be anything! the egg was white and small from what I remember, so could be a pekin or poland. Soooooo excited. Kitty still broody. Hope the chick makes it! Going to try and take a photo when Penny is less agitated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Fab news! Lesley emailed today to say ther her eggs are fertile, so I am hoping that mine are too - I will candle them tomorrow evening and report back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Good news all round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine C Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Marvellous news - good luck! E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f225/AuntyE/Chicks/ Here are some pictures of the broody ark and as much of the chick as Penny was letting us see. I don't think it's tried to eat or drink yet. It's quite grey across the back. I'm hoping it's a pekin, but who knows Still cheeping away merrily. In the general spirit of forgiveness, Kitty is sat on some of the fertile eggs I picked up at the weekend. I've left her in the nesting box of the eglu temporarily and made another one out of a shoebox for the girls to lay in, which they're quite happy to do generally. I'll have to get working on that old rabbit hutch to make another broody box to do her until/if they hatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Aunty e, I cannot get the link to work Sounds gorgeous Great news Clare Am soooooooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 oops. Try this one (typing sucks) http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f225/AuntyE/Chick/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
