LOCKDOWN!
The eggs got their final turn just now, and I candled to remove duds.
Final count: 5 eggs with chicks, 2 more I'm not sure of so they stayed in, 7 quitters. So with any luck, we'll have 5-7 chicks in a couple of days!
I've partitioned off the brooder box. The cam is in the same corner it was. The new chicks will be in the partition on the left, where the flamingo lamp is.
Unfortunately, my original idea, to place the cam pointing down to show both sides at once, won't work--the cam will want to focus on the wire partition, not the chicks. So once mama and new chicks are in place and active--usually after the first day--I'll point it at the new chicks. Hens tend to clamp down on the chicks the first day, but we'll see.
And yes, as long as the hen accepts the chicks, we'll have a mama this time around! It's a whole different experience with a mother hen...
We've got three or four options for a broody mom right now, and which one we use will depend on how many chicks we get:
1. Bobo, a tiny black bantam Cochin (she could handle 2-4 chicks).
2. Marble, a large tortoiseshell bantam Cochin (she could handle 4-6 chicks and is my first choice).
3. Dart, a standard-sized mixed breed hen who could handle ALL THE CHICKS ON EARTH. No, really, just ask her. Dart is uber-fierce and roars a LOT, she'd be highly entertaining for mom, but she's a last resort because she's so big--being confined in that small of a space might be too stressfull on her, and I don't want her turning on the babies if she feels overcrowded.
4. The last option is Uptown Bus (medium sized buff bantam Cochin), who was a Chickam mom in 2020 when she hid a nest on us--she just went broody today, so I don't know how dedicated she is to it yet.
1. Bobo, a tiny black bantam Cochin (she could handle 2-4 chicks).
2. Marble, a large tortoiseshell bantam Cochin (she could handle 4-6 chicks and is my first choice).
3. Dart, a standard-sized mixed breed hen who could handle ALL THE CHICKS ON EARTH. No, really, just ask her. Dart is uber-fierce and roars a LOT, she'd be highly entertaining for mom, but she's a last resort because she's so big--being confined in that small of a space might be too stressfull on her, and I don't want her turning on the babies if she feels overcrowded.
4. The last option is Uptown Bus (medium sized buff bantam Cochin), who was a Chickam mom in 2020 when she hid a nest on us--she just went broody today, so I don't know how dedicated she is to it yet.
After this weekend, the older chicks will be in their 6th week and will spend the warm daylight hours out in the small run to get them used to the outdoors & other chickens. When the hatch happens, that night we'll install a broody hen in the dark--it helps her accept the chicks as hers. The older chicks may be distressed at full dark at first, but they'll be ok.
The hatch is planned for Monday, May 15th (1 day short of 21 days, the usual) but may happen on May 14th. If you tune in and see EGGS, the hatch has begun!
You can watch the new hatch here: https://www.youtube.com/@jackshenhouse
On this page, click on 'Jacks Henhouse Chickam Live Stream' and a new window will open up with the live cam going.
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