GrandMOM to be....

[Suechooks]

Ahhhhhhhhhh! Now I'm getting broody!

[frias]

I'm so excited I feel a day trip to France coming on!

Give a cuddle to the little one from Auntie Avril x

[CoraxAurata]

Well- it survived the night!

And it's REALLY tiny- like those toy fluffy ones you buy at Easter!
Still under the right mum- and she's got her other 2 eggs beneath her.
- no sounds from them though.

Couldn't get a photo of the babe as it's a bit cramped in the nesting box cos Alice is laying her egg in with the other 2 who are nesting!!!!Looks like she's happy to lay and leave it up to the others to sit on them ( well...little does she know that were taking her eggs to eat cos she's the only one producing!!!)
We've left a couple of hers to hatch earlier on last week- so she'll still have babies- she just won't be aware of it!

I've put a small amount of water in a ramekin dish and a bit of ground up layers pellets,meal worms and oats for today. I hope that'll be OK?

I'm off to get come chick crumb after all cos I can always use it up in the porridge mash- and it should make life easier...just need to let the ice melt a bit on the country lanes.

I'll try and get a photo when Alice goes out to play with the boys.

Funny thing is that the lads aren't leaving the girls alone much at all- keeping an eye on them- clearly!!

Interestingly Bertha is making new noises- sort of clucking...well I suppose that's where the term 'clucking mother hen' comes from????

It's so sweet- I'm really pleased we let them brood!!!

Most chick crumbs are medicated so if you are using it up in porrige for your hens eating eggs laid at the time may be unwise...

First breakfast for mine is always mashed up boiled (or scrambled (30 secs in microwave) egg - if I have chick crumbs I start mixing that in if not I'll add a little of my hen mash.. Egg is fantastic starter food for chicks....

[Nicos]

Most chick crumbs are medicated so if you are using it up in porrige for your hens eating eggs laid at the time may be unwise...

First breakfast for mine is always mashed up boiled (or scrambled (30 secs in microwave) egg - if I have chick crumbs I start mixing that in if not I'll add a little of my hen mash.. Egg is fantastic starter food for chicks....

Urm -right...is medicated good or bad then if they are to free range and are kept very clean and not crowded?? I try to be organic if poss....so???...

Egg it is then- cos it's not had anything yet- what- just hand feed it??? How much and how often?? Will mum likely at it if left in there??

Oh dear..questions, questions...hope you don't mind????

I managed to get a lovely photo so I'll try and post it today ( camera battery died on me when transferring it to the laptop

[CoraxAurata]

Just got back and opened the coop to the sound of a chick 'chicking'!!!!- Mum let me take the egg to check it out and there's a small hole about 3mm across and a little beak moving around behind it!!!!!YEY!!!!!!

- didn't want to disturb her too much in case the other two were starting...BUT- Pheasant had nicked one of this batch - so I did a quick swap so I know Bertha has 2 of hers for sure under her...I'll check again later!

...this is SOOooooo exciting!!!!!!!

Have you got another one this morning?

[HayleyB]

Awww, Granny Nicos, so sweet, and hopefully a few more for friends to come

[Nicos]

Have you got another one this morning?

I have 2 others with crosses on them from the same mum and over about4 days- so may be a couple in the next couple of days.
A batch next monday(ish) from another mum and then a few the following week from 2 mums over 4 days..so nothing quite straight forward..so every trip to check them will be like Xmas morning!!!

..how many chooks do you have.?.hundreds from the sounds of it!!!!
Tis nice to have another freeranger with mummying experience!!

[CoraxAurata]

Urm -right...is medicated good or bad then if they are to free range and are kept very clean and not crowded?? I try to be organic if poss....so???...

Egg it is then- cos it's not had anything yet- what- just hand feed it??? How much and how often?? Will mum likely at it if left in there??

Oh dear..questions, questions...hope you don't mind????

I managed to get a lovely photo so I'll try and post it today ( camera battery died on me when transferring it to the laptop

Mum will probably have a bit, if you put it nearby she'll show it how to eat it, my ones without a feathered mum usually work it out themselves but if they are a little slow I either a take a pencil and tap tap in the dish to show them or drop little peices near their heads which catches the eye and they'll grab it - those guys have some food nearly all the time for the first while especially.

I tend to give mum something good to eat to encourage her to fill up a bit so she doesn't hog babies food - even if you do use chick crumbs it won't do harm her (she doesn't want too much for too long I'm told if they get plump they stop being motherly quicker and chick food is richer than adult food...) to have some since she won't be laying for a while so you don't have to worry about eggs but I try to keep the chick crumbs down to the young ones as much as poss....

I'm not keen on medicated feed but I do like to be sure young ones have had the best start I can give them and it is well balanced and the medication is against something that if they get it by the time you see signs it can be too late.... but I'm very paranoid about bugs and things... - eggs are well balanced too they have loads of good stuff in them, baby has after all been living on egg yolk since before he/she was hatched....

Hope this helps and makes some sort of sense?

CA

[Nicos]

Hopefully here are some pictures ...

[Nicos]

Oh my..I did that on my own!! *faints*

lets try for another one...

mum is at front-

[Nicos]

and here is a proud dad ( well either him or the other one!)
celebrating his news he's a daddy...or step daddy!!!

[Nicos]

oops- lost photo!

[Nicos]

one more try for daddy... YEY!!!!!

[Nicos]

disaster hopefully averted!!!

phew...just went to lock them all away as I'm off to buy some food- and noticed Bertha out of the nest- and all the eggs and baby under Pheasant. At first I thought she was babysitting- but realised there was a prob when Bertha sat on the wooden egg in the laying box ( which Alice has been ignoring)and started fluffing up. I left it for a while- and she settled in as if ready to hatch th wooden one

Ok..quick thinking ( I hope) I moved the other 2 of Bertha's eggs and babe under her in the new box and whipped out the wooden egg.
So..fingers crossed she'll stay put with her baby - and it'll be better for all of them to have there own little nest.

Fingers crossed it'll be Ok folks

[lynda66]

you can get un-medicated chick crumbs ...... but she is such a cutie, fingers crossed you get more soon

i'm definitely feeling broody now ..... think i need some chicks