ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[elevan]

Tonight's Broody Chronicles:

Went out to collect eggs and I always check under the broodys. Their eggs have an X on the end so it's an easy task. When I got to Hershey there was peeping under her. But I soon realized that things were not as they should be. The chick was coming out feet first and was obviously in distress as it appeared to be having a very difficult time breaking through and had been at it a while based on the dryness of it. I assisted by removing all of the hard shell and most of the membrane. Then stuck it back under Hershey and went about the rest of my business.

Tonight was the night we decided to allow Cruella and her chicks and Helga and her keets into the main coop area with their brood.

Cruella and her 2 chicks did a little pecking around and then quickly found a quiet spot to nest down for the night.

Then I went around watering and came back to check on Hershey. She had her chick's head crushed between the bottom of the nest and another egg! I took her other eggs away and temporarily stuck them under another hen...

Helga immediately took to a roost and while her keets tried to follow but kept coming up short. NO WAY was Helga gonna get down though so the keets went about finding a surrogate mama for the night. First a few tried Cinnamon but she was a little freaked out by them, so they tried each broody until they got to Cruella. That little Apenzeller hen now has 11 guinea keets and her 2 chicks tucked under her happily. Guinea keet faces were sticking out of her feathers from every which direction last I looked!

Locked up the turkeys for the night and came back to Hershey. She was pecking at the little chick and it seemed to have about had enough. So I took it away. Now what to do with it?

FRIZZ! I took the guinea eggs that I'd put under her and gave them to Cinnamon (who got hers the same day) and have Frizz the little chick. She happily accepted it. So cross those fingers that it survives the night after Hershey put it through the wringer.

So now Hershey is still sitting on a nest but has nothing and will not get anything again, Cinnamon is sitting on 25 guinea eggs (covering them all), Frizz has a new little chick that we hope makes it, Helga is enjoying a night's rest and hopefully will take on her keets tomorrow again (if not Cruella will probably keep them) and Cruella is fostering the keets tonight along with her 2 chicks.

And I still have 3 other broodys sitting on chicken eggs!

 

[Symphony]

Sounds like a Chicken daycare, lol. Busy place.

 

[elevan]

I am so tired! Didn't get everything done that I wanted to for tomorrow but I just cannot do anymore. The boys will be lucky to get dinner

 

[bonbean01]

You're tired...but when you are rested up...have a question...we have one hen (pet Goldie) that we let get broody...had to move her eggs and her to a safer place and hoped she wasn't doing this all for nothing...well...today we have 7 chicks...still 4 eggs under her...how long do these Mama hens care for their chicks before they are on their own? Strange storms last night...and going down to 50 degrees tonight and her feathers were cold this morning...yeah...we pet her and she likes being hand fed...spoiled rotten and a sweetheart...so we moved her again with chicks and eggs with hay under her...made a nice nest...and a light above her ... she seems to be okay with us doing that and her feathers are warm now...she shows the chicks the food and they eat...but haven't seen them drink...so am still making sure they all drink enough...am I interfering too much?

All our bantams hit freezer camp last fall except for Roo the rooster our original beautiful boy and Goldie for a mate...they got their freedom...but we still left food and water for them...they did great ... got young Rhode Island Reds this spring and hadn't planned on anymore Bantam chicks...but hey...Goldie really was dedicated...this is the chicken that flys on my back and head and when I'm sitting down comes to plant herself on my lap.

Won't even tell you how badly I spoil our sheep....LOL...or our dogs...they make our lives so great though Wish you were my neighbour...I'd bring you a casserole so you wouldn't have to make supper when you are so tired!

 

[elevan]

Today was insane. It's been a LONG time since I did so much baking. My feet and my back are killing me. Thankfully DH helped me out and put some lotion on my back that helps with those aches and pains. He hates doing it cause he thinks it stinks something awful...but the things we do for those we love, right?

Met a BYH member today when she came to pick up a turkey poult that she purchased. I was so engrossed in baking that I forgot what time it was. I looked awful. Thank goodness I'd just taken stuff out of the oven though and was able to take her right out to get the poult. I'd at least remembered to mark the poult yesterday (orange marker crayon on her legs) so she (the poult) was easy to round up.

Her grand(?)son seemed to like my set up. Multiple pens within pens. It's hard to explain but it works great if a critter gets out of their pen that they are still contained.

And we have another broody. Now if one of them would hatch out more than a couple of chicks then we'd be doing great!

Boys have bedtime at 8:30pm but that's when we ate dinner tonight Then DH went out with me to turn in the poultry and collect the evening eggs. I needed his help to make sure that Fudge (the duckling) got put back into the coop as he was out running around today.

We've got a field mouse in the coop. It scared the dickens out of me last night so I was prepared for it tonight. I tried to get DH to grab it by the tail when it buried itself in some shavings leaving the tail sticking out. He wouldn't do it It must stay hidden during the day cause I know that I have several hens who have caught mice (and frogs...lots of frogs).

You're tired...but when you are rested up...have a question...we have one hen (pet Goldie) that we let get broody...had to move her eggs and her to a safer place and hoped she wasn't doing this all for nothing...well...today we have 7 chicks...still 4 eggs under her...how long do these Mama hens care for their chicks before they are on their own? Strange storms last night...and going down to 50 degrees tonight and her feathers were cold this morning...yeah...we pet her and she likes being hand fed...spoiled rotten and a sweetheart...so we moved her again with chicks and eggs with hay under her...made a nice nest...and a light above her ... she seems to be okay with us doing that and her feathers are warm now...she shows the chicks the food and they eat...but haven't seen them drink...so am still making sure they all drink enough...am I interfering too much?

Depends on the broody really. Some will let you and some get freaked out by it. Sounds like she's ok with what you're doing so I wouldn't worry.

I very rarely see the chicks drink in the first few days when they're with a broody. I KNOW that they are but I just don't see it. Make sure that the water is available and don't worry too much on it.

Wish you were my neighbour...I'd bring you a casserole so you wouldn't have to make supper when you are so tired!

That is really sweet of you

 

[bonbean01]

Thanks Em! You know so much more about this than I do...have incubated and brooded hundreds of chicks..quail and bantams...but this is a first for me. I'm thinking her turning out to be such a pet makes her a little different with my interference? It's dark and late here, but I think I'll go see how she's doing for the night

Hope you wake up feeling rested and no sore back by morning!

 

[Roll farms]

My dh hates lotion in any form....doesn't matter if it smells good or bad, he hates the 'greasy' feel of it, period.

He'll rub my feet, but don't ask him to put lotion on them....it ain't happening.

 

[Symphony]

Me too, lotion is not my friend, except the rare treatment on my back. Must be a guy thing. Just like when we can find what where looking for in the frig or lazy susan and the lady of the house finds it right away by doing that crazy thing.....bending over.

 

[autumnprairie]

Congrats

 

[elevan]

I woke up early yesterday with a stomach bug. Horrible, miserable condition. Which meant that I was unable to attend the Farmer's Market, so all my hard work on Friday was for naught. My family is enjoying eating the fruits of my labor. But I'm still eating toast this morning.