4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Griffin]

It's now nearly 4pm and you haven't had the good grace to tell us if your eggs have hatched yet

[atsw]

Nothing to report

 

I'm starting to worry this has all gone horribly wrong. Poor Di, she been the perfect Mummy Hen, sat glued to the eggs for the last 21 days. However, so sign of any chipping and no sounds of cheeping on last inspection (she hopped off the nest for you-know-what at 3:55pm, so I had a quick look in, nothing but a beautifully set nest with 7 eggs, all silent as a lamb).

 

In theory she's sitting on six fertile Light Sussex eggs, plus one of her own (infertile) that started the whole caper. Obviously I'll give it a couple more days but I admit I'm beginning to worry. We've not been able to candle the eggs at any stage, Di is too protective.

 

Hummm

 

Andrew

[Patricia W]

Andrew

 

I'm near you do if this lot don't work, you are welcome to any number of my fertilised Poland eggs for free. The big school near you has hatched 5 out of 8 of a batch they had this year so I know they are fertile- but you may not want Polands of course.

 

Tricia

[atsw]

Thanks Tricia, I've sent you a PM.

 

Andrew

[Griffin]

I'm keeping everything crossed that they arrive for you. If it's any help, my Light Sussex were a day late too. Lazy little so and so's!

[Lewis]

Lets hope they are being lazy and you get some chicks tomorrow

[The Dogmother]

Fingers crossed, and give me a shout if you need anything - I'm not far away at all.

[atsw]

Sadly still all silent as the grave, it's not looking at all promising . Even though the eggs were set late in the day on 4th June (Day 0), I reckon there should have been signs of activity by now (day 22).

 

Just unlucky this time I guess. Eggs came from e-bay which is always a gamble, but it was someone who provides hatching eggs for four or five different breeds. They arrived next day and very well packaged. We let them sit for 24hrs 'pointy end' down before putting them under Di and she has been a model broody hen throughout. So, I'm sure we did everything right and it was fun preparing everything and trying to make sure nothing was overlooked.

 

I'll wait until Sunday, after that we'll call it a day. I will candle the eggs Sunday night to see if they appear clear (i.e. infertile from the start), or if things started but went wrong along the way.

 

With being away during the school summer holidays it's not practical to put another set of eggs under Di at this time, so if nothing happens I think our chance is gone this year. I'm not sure I'd want her sitting for another three weeks anyway, she needs to get up now and get back into a more normal routine.

 

So, I do have one question for you all, how should I go about getting Di off the nest and back into circulation with the other two? She's been in her own broody-box for 25 days now, in a sectioned off area of the WIR. All the girls have been in eye contact throughout. Should I just remove the broody-box and run separator and do my best to stop Di sitting in the Eglu? Seems wrong to put her through the usual anti-broody treatment after all this, particularly as she was such as good broody hen!

 

Andrew

[The Dogmother]

Try letting her loose with the others to start with and see if she's so hungry that she stays out. Otherwise, you may need to pop her in the broody cage

[Griffin]

Or you could buy a few day old chicks and place them under her when she's asleep at night. It's an awful shame for her to put in all that effort for nothing

 

Fingers crossed for some late arrivals.

[atsw]

Or you could buy a few day old chicks and place them under her when she's asleep at night.

Ah, now, that is something I'd not considered until you suggested it. Anyone got any suggestions for reputable people/organisations where I might be able to source some day-old chicks this weekend? Don't want to travel miles, obviously, but somewhere within, say, 25/30 miles of Oxford would be good.

 

Don't have to be Light Sussex.

 

Andrew

[Tara.F]

Oh! I'm gutted for you

 

this happened to us last year....also with eggs from e-bay...and poor Lacey refused to leave the eggs for a whole fourth week. We took the eggs away and just let her sit a while longer but hand fed her lots of goodies to build her strength back up. She came out eventually bless her and seemed none the worse for her ordeal

[Griffin]

The Domestic Fowl Trust near Evesham sell day olds. Or you could post an appeal in the wanted section on Practical Poultry, there might be a breeder near you with some. If only mine were due this weekend instead of next I'd let you have a few of those.

[Griffin]

http://www.bestofbreeds.com/countrybreeds/poultry/poultry.htm

 

Some of those breeders are in Oxfordshire.

[abwsco]

Fingers crossed that they are just late Andrew. Ours are due to hatch on Tuesday/Wednesday and I've already said we would get some day olds if nothing happens. The price of them is dear around here though!

[atsw]

Just to update everyone, and thank you for your help and advise. There was still no sign of activity this morning (day 23), so I put on the thickest pair of gardening gloves I could find and attempted to extract the eggs from under our Broody Buff Orp. Not good news I'm sorry to say.

 

I managed to get five of the six eggs out from under her, and candled them with a bright torch. I then compared the images with the pictures at http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html

 

Two looked like this

Bacteria has invaded the eggs' membrane

 

One looked like this

Highly defined pores

 

One looked like this

Infertile, or too old to germinate.

 

and finally, one looked a bit like this, although the dark area was not as dark or large.

You can see the clear spot beneath, with the yolk and peep floating at the top.

 

So, not a great result, but at least some of the eggs were fertile, just not strong enough to make it through all 21 days.

 

Andrew

[Chickvic]

I'm sorry to hear that Are you getting some 1 day old chicks instead?

[atsw]

Yes, I'm currently awaiting a call back from someone who might be able to help. I'll update in due course.

 

Andrew

[Patricia W]

Hi Andrew

 

I've tried to reply to your PM - but failed! So sorry about the eggs. My offer of Poland eggs any time stands. My friend who has orps just like your is trying to hatch 2 of the eggs ( not a great reserve there though going on your experience ) so I'll let you know if they are successful.

Tricia

[atsw]

Good News

 

 

Partridge Pekins!

 

We went to get between four and six chicks, seemed to come home with eight . Well, couldn't leave the little black one on his own, and Di is sitting on seven eggs, so I'm hoping she's not that good at maths!

 

The plan so far is to introduce four tonight, see how that works and then add the other four tomorrow night (or not, if Di takes a disliking to the first set, in which case we'll rear them ourselves). Anyone think there might be a problem with this approach? We're being cautious as Di has been very protective of the eggs, so I'm a little wary of how she'll react to the chicks. We'll do everything under cover of darkness and leave the chicks, in their warm box, (but out of sight), near to Di for two hours before hand so she gets to hear them tweeting.

 

Andrew

Edited July 4, 2009 by Guest

[Lewis]

Sounds like a good plan to me. Have you got a heat lamp for them to go under while she's not sitting on them.

 

She should take to them well, maybe give her one while its still light to see how she reacts to it, so they don't all appear at once? - don't know.

[teri]

they are sooooo cute, i cant blame you for taking them all, the little black on is gorgeous good luck with putting them with mum, bet she won't be able to resist them either!

[alih]

Well done you for activating plan b so efficiently. Very interested to see how mum takes to them. Where did you get them from in the end? And what will you do with the boys?

[atsw]

Sounds like a good plan to me. Have you got a heat lamp for them to go under while she's not sitting on them.

Yes, they are nice and cosy in a heated brooder awaiting the next stage of the plan - it's like masterminding a military operation this! The next stage is to move the heated box up next to our Broody and leave it there till around 10:00pm tonight. It will be out-of-sight, but well within earshot. The other girls have already been shut in the Eglu for the night so they will be quiet when the time comes. Then four will be extracted under cover of darkness and popped under Mum, with four eggs being removed at the same time. Quite how I'm going to manage all this in the picth black is yet to be seen .

 

Well done you for activating plan b so efficiently. Very interested to see how mum takes to them. Where did you get them from in the end? And what will you do with the boys?

We got them from a very nice family just outside Banbury, around 30/40 mins north of us, so it was a quick drive there and back. The boys, I'm sorry to say, will meet with the usual fate when the time comes. No idea what we have, so its just like a set of eggs hatching. Markings are quite striking already, one black (obviously!), three with quite dark markings and four which are lighter on their wings.

 

I shall report back on how tonight's introductions go in the morning - no sleep for me I fear.

 

Andrew

[tom123]

Good Luck

 

Pekins are the best, but i wouldn't waste time on eating the boys. Sell them or give them away. People are always looking for pekin cockerels. Ill have one if I was closer!

 

No idea what we have, so its just like a set of eggs hatching. Markings are quite striking already, one black (obviously!), three with quite dark markings and four which are lighter on their wings.

 

Andrew

 

Maybe, you have 3 boys and 4 girls (partidges) as the girls are a lot lighter than the boys ...

 

 

 

Let me know if my theory works!

 

Good Luck again

Tom

 

 

P.S. I would do all 8 at the same time and just take an egg add a chick etc.