Marigold on eggs.

[di]

I think you'll find that she'll be wanting to sit before then!!!!


Not long now eh??

..and no..you don't want poo in her nest box with the little chicks in there!

Once she's got her chicks, you may well find Dandelion a great help to her with their care

I best go check on my veloceraptors!!!!

I think she probably will too!!...but Andi has said a (almost) definite NO!
We've been told the chick broods shouldn't be mixed until they're 10 weeks old(is this right?)...it would mean him building yet another coop and run!!!...but then thinking about it...I never did get my polytunnel this year....so maybe he owes me!!??!
Hope your gals are feeling a little less hormonal this morning!
Bephlam...I'm a little excited too...possibly only two more sleeps to go!!

[matthew2riches]

You can add little chicks to any other brood. A hen SHOULD NEVER bully a little chick. You have always got mummy to stand up for the little ones too.

You'll find if you add the chicks when they are older, they will fight because the older chickens feel intimidated!

[Nicos]

I'm a little excited too...possibly only two more sleeps to go!!

You going to manage to sleep????

My girls rushed out for their breccie and didn't go back in to try and get in with Betty- She's got the full run of the coop whilst the others are locked outside.Thought it'd give her a chance to eat drink and be....oh- erm I mean -have a poo in private!!!!

I'll leave them like that for a couple of hours and then shut her away behind the chicken wire.

Looks like the chilly weather is sorting out their hormones!!!!

My chicks all mixed in together and with the other adults from day 2- once I'd seen them drink and eat a bit of softly scrambled egg.
I was a bit worried about how the boys would react at first and was ready to intervene - once they'd had a good look, they were fine!
For you though...I'd leave Marigold away from the bullies- but perhaps let Dandelion keep her company- she'll not harm the babies- and may actually be a more sensible mum than Marigold- first time and all! 4 wings better than 2 ...but follow your gut feeling- you know them better than me- and can watch their body language
In fact it'd probably be perfect having 2 mums with Marigolds and the incubator chicks running together!!!!!!

Aww...hundreds of little chiccies!!!!!!

[di]

Not good!

Well...with only a couple of days to go,Marigold has abandoned the nest!When I got up there(almost lunchtime)she was clawing away trying to get out of her bit.Eggs felt really cold & I have no idea how long she'd been off them?!
Dandelion was meanwhile preventing a couple of the others from laying as she'd decided to sit on the already laid(unfertile)eggs.After much pecking & hissing I managed to get her in with Marigolds eggs hoping she'd adopt them,but as soon as I'd moved the eggs from today she went back & puffed herself up in anempty nest box!Despite being under attack from the vicious hormonal girl I moved her out & popped Marigolds nest box where she'd decided she wanted to sit...hey presto it worked,but isn't practical to have her there as it's the main part of the coop...left her for half an hour then gently lifted the box with her in it & popped it into the back of the coop...she was there for about an hour,sat tight,before I had to go get the kiddies.
What I need to know...is there any slight,remote chance that even though they may have been abandoned for several hours,therefore got quite cold,that they could still be OK?Also,if there is,is it the right thing to have done to encourage Dandelion to sit on them....IF they were to hatch,she'll only have had two or three days sitting until they hatch.
Personally I've given up hope & feel pretty deflated,but if it's worth a try then we'll leave Dandelion sat on them.(that said I'll probably get up there in a bit to find her out & about ignoring them....or more annoying,sat puffed up & hissing on an empty shelf!!!

[Nicos]

I had a few eggs which had been cold for a few hours- and the chicks survived- you're so near now- there's no ham in letting Dandelion have a go- as soon as the chicks hatch ( fingers crossed) Marigold may pay an interest.
If there's no room in the incubator then you'll need to do what you can to help the chicks survive.

They do say the mother will abandon th eggs if she thinks there are no viable young....maybe Marigold has just got it wrong????

Go for it with Dandelion- I certainly would -having seen my gals playing pass the parcel with the eggs - 2 or 3 of them in the same nest box!!!

No matter how inconvenient the nest siting is- it's a case of survival now!!!

Good luck xx

[MaureenHall]

Crumbs Di, it sounds sooooo stressful for you!!! Fingers crossed hun xxx

[matthew2riches]

That is sods law unfortunately!

I have had eggs go stone cold in an incubator when the power decided to cut out and they were fine. They'll either carry on and hatch or would have died in shell. It is just luck now really.

All the best!

[matthew2riches]

Oh I forgot!

Dandelion is going to wonder what the hell is going on if the chicks hatch in a few days as opposed to 3 weeks lol!

[di]

Cheers All!!!xWell,we had a productive evening at the lottie,didn't leave until nearly 9:30!!...the kiddies are gonna be great getting ready for school tomorrow!...but,after I finished digging the trench for the fence this arvo,we managed to get the new run finished,roosting bars & nestbox in the new coop & the others have all moved in,leaving Dandelion & Marigold to do their thing...whatever that may be!!??Dandelionis still sat tight,Marigold spent the afternoon & evening moping about outside...she seems really depressed.Her comb is so pale & she's lost a lot of weight,but she was eating & drinking,so I'm so hoping she'll pick up!It was really sad seeing her all alone and on a perch when I shut them in!
I'll be surprised if anything comes of the eggs...we'll leave be until Sunday,but at least Marigold & Dandelion are together & not going to be disturbed by the others.
Now for the good news...although I feel apprehensive & a little guilty getting excited...we candled the eggs in the incubator & in two of them saw little moving feet!!!The other two bantams we could see the air sac & veins,but with the legbars only the airsac,but the shells are darker.Now if they hatch we have the decision to make as to whether we risk putting them with D&M or whether we rear them at home!
Is it best to just pop a little water in at a time & increase it if humidity doesn't get high enough,or do I fill a tray?Sorry Matthew...I know you've probably told us,but I can't remember if you said to just put in enough to cover the base of the tray or to fill it???...I can remember just to put it in one tray!!!
Cheers!x

[matthew2riches]

Hi,

Just fill the left hand tray about half way to the top with luke warm water (about 25c), shut the lid up and do not touch again until 24 hours after hatching.

BTW - You'll find it hard to fit a whole family looking through the window at once (as I established when I incubated for the first time lol!).

Good luck!

[di]

Cheers Matthew...will do it as soon as I get back from the school run!
Still not sure the babies will have survived being left for so long,but Dandelion was still sat tight this morning!:Marigold is wandering around looking really depressed...she's wanting to go in with the other hens,but I couldn't risk putting her in with them whilst I'm not there...am expecting some pretty nasty bullying.
Hopefully she can last out a couple more days alone with Dandelion & "maybe" be joint mummy!??

[di]

I feel a bit guilty writing this today,what with Maureens news!
Don't think the eggs,under Dandelion now,are going to hatch!Unfortunately it seems the reason Marigold "gave up",was not through boredom,but mites!...I feel really bad,we usually keep an eye out for them & try to keep the coop clear,but I guess the conditions in a wooden box filled with straw,being kept constantly warm,is ideal breeding ground.We'd had a half hearted attempt at powdering her up,the day before she left her eggs,but she really wasn't happy being messed about with & not knowing how crucial it was at the time,opted to risk it,thinking if we persisted it would put her off sitting....Oh what a wonderful thing hindsight is!
I'm actually so relieved that she didn't persist,having read up on it(too late!)broodies often die from losing so much blood to them,so we actually got away lightly.Dissappointed as I am about the eggs,I'm far happier that our girl didn't get that bad!Since being off the eggs her comb has reddened really well & she seems a lot happier!
Dandelion is still sitting on the eggs...in a different box,but to be safe we'll demite her & move her to a new coop that Andi's almost finished making.Apparently the powder is safe to use on day old chicks,so if they do hatch any residue left on mummy shouldn't cause them any harm.
We'll give the eggs until Sunday & if they've not hatched by then we'll take them away...as Dandelion doesn't seem to realise she needs to be covering them there really does seem little hope...she'd got several on show this arvo!...never mind...like I said,dissappointing as it is,we thankfully we haven't lost either Dandelion or Marigold.
Hopefully anyone considering using a broody for hatching that's new to it all will read this & make sure they treat their chook BEFORE she starts sitting on eggs!!!

[matthew2riches]

Dam! That is a shame :-(

That is the risk you take using in-experienced mummies.

It sounds like you would have had mites in there before she started sitting if she was separated off and had no contact with any other hens. Or she may have had mite eggs on her almost ready to hatch. Only a few would have then bred off Marigold's blood and multiplied!

I wish you better luck for the incubator chicks! I would hand rear those as you can't really go wrong then. It would save yet more heartache.

[matthew2riches]

You may also find it helpful to smash the eggs if they don't hatch to see when they stopped developing. Maybe post a few photos and I can tell you if you're unsure.

[MaureenHall]

Di, that's so brave of you to tell us that. I'm really sorry to hear about the mites problem though, and fingers firmly crossed that you WILL get some little ones for Dandelion and Marigold to play mummy to.

My youngest daughter and I cleaned out the big coop this afternoon, and there was absolutely no evidence of any lice or mites at all. I've put this down to the fact that I gave my girls a good dose of garlic powder a couple of times a week. I don't feel like examining them closely to see if there were any on them, but they all looked really healthy, nice red combs and wattles, and apart from the 2 that were moulting, had lovely feathers