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Post by linda29 on Jan 3, 2011 8:38:34 GMT 8
Hi Everyone and Happy New Year I went out today to let the chooks out early and I went to check on my broody who is due to be a busy mum in 2 days time only to discover their was already a wet chick hatched I was caught unaware and I know our weather has been hot and muggy. But does this contribute to early hatches? OMG I have more chicks due in 4 days time or maybe I should say in 2 days time!!!! Has this happened to any of our other members due to weather. I keep accurate records on the date of setting and hatching. Well it looks I am going to be busier earlier that i planned. Love Mother nature Cheers Linda
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Post by linda29 on Jan 3, 2011 15:27:57 GMT 8
Hi Everyone I thought i would give you all an update to my early hatch. After telling you all about it I went back to Ms broody and found the little chick dead with head injuries. I new there were eggs under her pipping so I made a big cool drink and sat in the hen house to wait to see what would unfold. Wow I was dripping with sweat after 1 hour another chick hatched and Ms broody tried to peck at it, little chick went under Ms broody and stayed there until another chick hatched. Ms broody grabbed the chick and started to peck at it in an angry way. Luckily I have Ms Browny sitting on eggs that are due in 3 days, so I did the switch. 2 chicks and 2 pipping eggs to Ms browny and the fertile eggs went to Ms broody. Who seems happy to sit on the eggs from Ms browny!! Ms browny is also happy. What a day! I will have to think of a plan for the new chicks that hatch in a few days under the wicked Ms Broody. Any ideas are most welcome. Now at 3.25pm I need a good drink and some lunch. This hatching business can be challenging. Cheers linda29
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Post by quambie on Jan 3, 2011 15:50:59 GMT 8
HI Linda if that were me I would take the eggs and the chicks away from her finish them off in the brooder the last thing you want to do is to loos them all because she wants to kill them I do not know what makes them do that it may be the shock seeing something moving under her instead of the eggs that have been still for a long time in her world Good luck trev
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Post by jacquie on Jan 3, 2011 19:18:17 GMT 8
sometimes eggs will hatch early regardless of the weather. its a bit like humans, the average date of birth is 9 months but some come early and some come late.
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Post by jacquie on Jan 3, 2011 19:20:07 GMT 8
oops i didn't see the other posts lol, sorry linda and trev.
sometimes mumma hen is shocked when her lovely nice eggs turn into slimy wet noisy chicks and she attacks them. usually this only happens teh first time she sits.............and stress can cause it too.
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Post by linda29 on Jan 4, 2011 9:52:01 GMT 8
This is this hens first hatch. Nice broody has taken to the other 2 chicks well and this morning the other 2 eggs have hatched under her. I have left the eggs due to hatch on thursday under the nasty broody as she is happy to sit and incubate. When they pip i will slip them under nice broody. My, my the things I do on my holidays!!!! Thanks for all your help everyone. Cheers linda
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Post by quambie on Jan 4, 2011 19:06:36 GMT 8
good luck linda let us knw how you get on Trev
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Post by chooken on Jan 4, 2011 19:20:03 GMT 8
Hi Linda
We too have had experience with a cranky mum. She is a Gold Laced Wyandotte. With her first hatch she killed three before we discovered what was going on. As we later found out, as soon as they pipped she would rip them out of the shell and kill them. We did not let her hatch the others. We gave her a second chance a year later and she did exactly the same thing. No third chances for that cranky chookie.
One of her sisters is the same when hatching chickens. She didn't get a second chance.
Her other sister however, is the total opposite. She goes clucky on a regular basis and loves hatching chickens and will even pinch and mother the chickens of others. One brood she had the boys had started to crow but she still insisted on them snuggling with her at night time.
Isn't mother nature amazing!
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