A week has went by so fast and so much has happened here at the Coop DeVille farm! Out of the 16 eggs that Lucy and Ethel were sitting on they successfully hatched out 13. I am very pleased with that result. Sadly, we have lost two of them, one to an accident and the other probably to a cat or a bigger bird like a hawk. Only Mother Nature knows. I have been doing this long enough to know that it is truly a wild world and it is all about survival of the fittest.
So currently, Lucy has 4 babies and Ethel has the other 7. By Wednesday they were taking them out of the crates and by Friday they had them outside in the chicken yard. It is so cute to watch them teaching them to eat and drink, take a dust bath and how to socialize with the others in the flock. At this point most of the others could care less about the babies. The mommas are doing a good job of protecting them and keeping them warm and safe.
Speaking of keeping warm, do you know that the babies will crawl under momma and up into her wings, between here legs....where ever they need to be to get warm? They will also get on the back of the momma and attempt to hitch a ride or just take a nap. So yesterday the wind was horribly here, even for Wyoming standards. Sustained winds of 40-45 with gusts over 60. Those little babies were getting blown all over that hen yard. But the mommas were doing a good job of keeping them close and warm. Around 5pm I heard a strange noise...it sounded like hail coming down the stove pipe. I got up to see if it was raining and to my amazement it was a complete white out. A blizzard came out of no where...my first thought was the babies! Luckily, my son was home and we threw on coats and ran to the hen yard. Sure enough there were Lucy and Ethel, hunkered down, covered with snow. The snow was coming down so fast and the wind was driving so hard it was sticking to the sides of the coop and fence. The look of relief when they saw us come through the gate was incredible. I know chickens don't have much in the way of facial expression, but I know my girls and I could see the relief. We quickly got them all scooped up and into the coop out of the snow and wind. By the time Alex and I got back up to the house, we looked like some kind of snow monsters. The snow had stuck to us, our hair was soaking wet and plastered down to our faces. We were quite a sight I am sure...sadly, this was done in such a rush I didn't even stop to consider taking pictures. I just wanted to get those babies out of the snow.
So I am sure you are wondering why they didn't just head into the coop in the first place when the weather started to change. Well those little babies can come down the ramps to the coops quite easily but going back up is another. It will be another week or so before they all can run right up those ramps on their own. I have been helping them every evening since the mommas started bringing them outside. It is just part of having them.
In other fun news, both of my incubators are running. Currently, I have 18 Silkie/Showgirl eggs in the smaller one, 33 in the other incubator. Those are a combination of Silkie/Sizzle eggs and some more mixed breed from my flock. The ones in the larger incubator will be hatching on the Saturday before Easter and the others will hatch a few days later. The Silkie/Sizzle eggs came from Washington state via eBay and the others came from Oregon, also won on eBay. Silkie/Showgirl/Sizzle eggs are notoriously hard to hatch, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good hatch rate.
Well here it is, the first baby of the year. She hatched from a white egg, has 5 toes and such a poofy head...her momma was one of my Mottled Houdan chickens. Who knows who the rooster was...maybe as it grows we will be able to take a guess. This chick was one of Ethel's eggs...Lucy has also hatched out one, but it was too wet to get a picture. But it came from a green egg, so it will be part Easter Egger chicken. More pictures to follow.
Here is the baby...so dang fluffy and cute!
Can you see her tucked in under Ethel?
This morning I went out to check on Lucy and Ethel and make sure they were all set for tomorrow, Monday will be 21 days of setting and should be hatching day. Well as soon as I walked into Cluckingham Palace, I could hear baby chicks chirping!! Oh, my heart skipped a beat I am sure. I am so excited to see what will hatch out of my eggs....I couldn't get her crate opened fast enough. In true Ethel style, she screamed at me and fluffed herself up to twice her size. After some gently petting and soothing words, she allowed me to lift her belly up to get a peak. As loud as the chirping was, I was expecting to see at least 2-3 chicks, but to my amazement there were no chicks, just pips and the start of some zipping on several of her eggs. Wooo Hooo, it is hatching day!
So I need to fill you in on what has been happening over the past week inside those precious eggs. On day 16 the claws, beak and scales harden more and become firm and horny, this is crucial. The next day the chick moves a bit and positions the beak towards the air sac/cell at the end of the egg, but does not pierce it yet. On the nineteenth day the yolk sac begins to be absorbed by the body cavity. This gives them the hydration, nutrients and strength they need to go through the process of breaking out of the shell....this is tough work for a chick and requires a lot of energy. On day twenty, the yolk is fully absorbed and the chick rests and gets ready for the hatching. Sometime between day 20 and 21 the chick will break into that air sac and begin breathing the air. It is at this point that you can hear them chirping...they are screaming to the world..."Here I come!"
As you can see in the picture some of the chicks have broken away a bit of shell. This is done with their egg tooth, a sharp little point (think rhino horn on a much more minuscule scale) on the beak that cracks the shell. From there they keep pushing and it cracks some more and until a bit of shell is broken away. They will continue this process of pushing and break shell away in a circular motion all the way around egg, this is called zipping. Once they have zipped around the egg, they will give a few good strong kicks and bust out of the egg. This whole process can sometimes take over 24 hours depending on the chicken. I have also seen it happen in under an hour in my incubator. It really depends on the chick. They will need to rest a while and not be disturbed during this time, they need to dry and let their down fluff out before being take out from under the broody or the incubator. This can take several hours depending on the temperature and humidity. Currently it is just about freezing, a bit warmer in the coop and a whole lot warmer under Ethel. I will check on them again in few hours, but I will be quick about it.
So far the only pips I could see where with the Ethel's eggs, but Lucy's will be along soon...maybe tonight or tomorrow.
And in other exciting news, I have eggs in the incubator inside. Yesterday I set several eggs, some of my own barnyard mix and some Silkie and Sizzle eggs I bought on eBay and had shipped to my house. These eggs will hatch the Saturday before Easter...how fun will that be to have babies on Easter Sunday? And if you are not familiar with a Sizzle chicken...well it is a frizzled Silkie...so the feathers will grow softly, but in all directions...think of a Swiffer duster with a lot of static!!! Here is picture of my incubator. I do have another shipment of Silkie and Showgirl eggs coming this week...they will go in my second incubator. :)
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Well last night I candled again and I am super excited to report that every egg looks spot on for growth and development. Ethel is getting better and better about letting me get the eggs out from under her, she screamed at me last night, but only once and short one at that. Lucy doesn't scream anymore at all. So much has happened as far as growth during this past week.
On day 8 the feathers began to appear and by the tenth day the beak has hardened. On the thirteenth day the legs began to form scales and claws started to develop at the end of the toes. Yesterday, on day fourteen, the chick starts the process of getting itself into position suitable for hatching. I will not handle them again now until they hatch. Lucy and Ethel will get them how they want them and they will quite rotating them when they know the time is right. It will be nice to have babies running around the chicken yard soon. I am really excited to see what they will look like when they hatch out since they are all going to be barnyard mutts.
In other exciting news on the 9th of March I will be filling my large incubator with eggs....these will hopefully then hatch on the Saturday before Easter...who doesn't like baby chicks for Easter? These will be the last ones I hatch until we have breeding pens set up and I can collect eggs that will be purebred and of my choosing. I did take a few walks this week through the farm store to look at the chicks they have for sale, and to my husbands surprise I walked out empty handed. I have also not placed an order with the hatchery this year either. Perhaps I am getting my chicken math under control???? Only time will tell!
So to get you in the mood for chicks, here is a picture of one of Rosa's chicks from last year. As you can see it was still a bit damp...only a few hours out of the shell....I can't wait for next week? Can you?
So after being gone over the weekend, I was really excited to check in on Lucy and Ethel. Monday night was one full week of sitting on their eggs. I was excited to candle them and see where they were at growth wise. I am happy to report that all 16 eggs are showing growth and movement. Lucy and Ethel are getting better about letting me check the eggs, they didn't even attempt to peck me. Just a little scream here and there.
With the eggs showing growth and movement, it is exciting to think about what is going on in there over the past few days. The embryos have now started developing a tongue and on the fifth day, their gender was determined...so I am hoping we have a lot of girls growing inside those eggs. The beak is also beginning to form. So much happening in such a small space in only 7 days. What really amazes me is that the hens can keep the temperature and humidity just right on those eggs. I have computerized incubators and can still have problems with incubating eggs. Mother Nature knows best. I am also impressed with how the hen rotate the eggs by moving their wings and belly just right...every so gently, so as not to crack the egg. The hens pluck their belly clean and use the feathers to add to the nest. Having their bellies clean of feathers allows the egg to be in direct contact with the skin. Simply amazing.
This past weekend, I was in snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park and met up with a lovely couple from Utah. We had lunch at Old Faithful together and spent a lot of time talking chicken. I think she might have the chicken bug...gotta love that!
For today I thought I would share a picture of some of the eggs I collect from my girls. I love how the size and color are all so different. Oh, and one more quick tidbit, if you like this blog, please join it by clicking the blue "Join this site" button on the right hand side of your screen. You will get an email notification every time I add a new entry. :)
So tonight under the cover of darkness my son and I went to candle the eggs to check for growth. So we started with Lucy. Lucy was originally given 8 eggs, numbered 1-8. The other day I found one of the eggs broken under her, so she is down to 7. Out of the seven I could clearly see spider veining in five of them. I left the other two, just in case I couldn't see the growth yet. Generally on or about day 3of incubation you can see what looks like a spider developing on the yolk when you hold the egg up to a bright light source. I use a Brinsea OvaScope. With some shells, especially darker brown and green ones it is difficult to see through the shell until there is more development. So while Lucy was not happy with me pulling the eggs out from under her super warm belly...especially with my cold hands, I was super happy to see all the veining.
Then on to Ethel. Now little miss Ethel...she is a fiery hen...she is very protective and lets me know with a quick sharp peck that she is not a fan of me. Well she had her butt facing the crate door, so I thought it would be perfect to go right in under her and pull the eggs out one at a time to candle them. So as I pulled one and then another out candling them, I would tell the results to my son who was diligently taking notes and petting his favorite rooster. Ethel was originally given 8 eggs as well, lettered A-H. I ended up finding one that didn't have a letter, a green egg..not sure where she got it, if she stole it or if another hen got in the crate and layed it one of the times I had it open for Ethel to get out and stretch her legs and use the facilities. So she has nine eggs now and of the nine, seven are showing growth. So I am quite pleased with my fertility rate.
Well I was just pulling the last egg out when Ethel decided she had had enough for the night. She stood up and started to turn around to peck me when she let loose of the biggest broody poop I have ever seen. This was an epic chicken crap! Likely for me, she was turning her head towards me, which meant her butt turned away from me and narrowly missed landing on my hand and the egg I was trying to get out from under her. I said "Oh my, that was just a huge broody poop, Ethel...and a stinky one!" About 20 seconds later, the smell hit Alex...."Mom, what is that smell? It is is sick!" I was laughing and Ethel was not amused at all.
So what is a broody poop you ask??? Well a chicken poops on average once every hour (geese poop about once every ten minutes...ewwww gross). But when a hen is broody, her job is to heat those eggs and protect them. So she holds in her poops...for very long periods of time. Especially at the beginning and ending of the three week sitting cycle. So these girls have not really gotten off of the eggs since Monday night....So when I disturbed her enough and she stood up, naturally she could not hold it anymore and she let go of at least 24 hours of poop! Alex had to go out of the coop...I thought he was going to vomit...and I have the weaker stomach. You know how you can change your own kids diaper and it doesn't bother you...well it must be like that for me with the chickens. I can gag over the dog or cat poop, but the chickens don't bother me. Imagine that!
So what is happening as far as growth in those eggs so far? Well during the 25th hour the heart began to form and ten hours later the ears started to form. At 42 hours the heart began to beat. Awe...pumping of the blood...amazing. From breakfast food to a beating heart in 42 hours. At 60 hours the nose begins to form and by 62 the legs begin forming. Finally during day three the wings begin to form. It still amazes me how the hen knows and can regulate the temperature under her belly and keep the eggs rotated so the eggs form just right...and on schedule.
Just a quick update on the broody girls and their eggs:
They have been named, thank you Mary for the great suggestions of Lucy and Ethel!!!
Last night when I checked on them I noticed one of Lucy's eggs was out from under her and off to the side. I reached in to tuck it under here and discovered it was broken. It was egg number 6, so she is now down to 7 eggs under her, but all the others seemed fine. This egg did appear to be a bit softer in the shell than others, so perhaps she broke it on purpose to eliminate it. Ethel has all of hers and is super protective...I love how she screams at me when I try to check in on her. Her eggs are lettered...this will help me keep better track of them.
So lets talk about egg development. My plan is to share how and what is developing within the egg/embryo over the next three weeks. Provided the egg has been fertilized, a lot happens in the first 24 hours under the hen or in an incubator. By hour 20 there is already enough cell growth that there is a beginning appearance of a vertebra and within just a few more hours the head is beginning to form. At the end of 24 hours, the eyes are starting to form. Of course, this is all microscopic and we will not be able to see anything for a few more days. Amazing, that this all happens so quickly.
What is more impressive to me is that a chicken can regulate the temperature under her so that each egg stays at the right temperature and is provided with the proper humidity to grow. Mother Nature is impressive.
I will candle them tomorrow night, and hopefully I will be able to see some spider veining. Then I will know for sure which ones are fertile. I would be super pleased with a 50% hatch rate. So keep your fingers crossed.
Here is a picture of Ethel, right after I gave her eggs...she was scooting them under her belly. I think she is going to be a great momma...she is very protective.
Wow, it sure has been a long time since I posted a new entry. I have been encouraged to get back to it, so that is what I am going to do. And what could be a better time than today...you see, because today I am allowing two broody hens to get to work and hatch some spring chicks.
So this morning we did a rough cleaning of both coops. I don't like to do deep cleaning in the winter because all of that built up poop and bedding makes for very nice insulation, but we did take some out and added in new bedding. When the coops were all cleaned and the chickens approved I set up two dog crates and moved the broody mommas from their high nesting boxes to the dog crates. Why do they always pick the most inappropriate nesting boxes??? Silly girls! So I am doing a little test with them for the next 24 hours or so. I gave them a few eggs to sit on today and I want to see how serious they are about sitting. In the past I have had girls sit for a few days, lose interest and quit. So before I decide just how many and which ones they will get for a full incubation, I will test them first.
Right now, all of my flock is running together, so it is hard to determine fertility rate and all the chicks will be mixed breeds...but that is okay, there is a lot to be said about hybrid vigor. My neighbor needs some chicks to replenish her flock, and she doesn't care if they are mutts. So I think I will give each hen about 8-10 eggs each and hope for a 50% hatch rate. Since there is not a way to determine if an egg is fertile without cracking it open, we just have to hope for the best. It is all part of the fun of it.
So here are the broody girls.
Both of these girls are Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I got them at the same time last year as day old chicks. I like to think of them as sisters. As you can see the girl in the top photo has more blue in her coloring and the one below has more red. They need names...I have always just referred to them as the Blue Laced Sisters. So if you have suggestions for names, we would love to hear them.
And finally, here is a picture of Lou, my little white Silkie hen...I believe she is about to lay her first egg. She gets in the box for a while, gets out and sings and then gets back in the box. I just love her and would love to have more Silkies.
