Wyandotte Chicks update and Run Cleaning

Is it me or can hens get really grumpy?  Do they wake up one morning and get out the wrong side of the nest?  Or is it that I somehow upset them?  I am male after all!  Men have a unique ability in this area.

I checked on Treacle and chicks this morning.  All doing well.  They are now 9 days old but still look tiny!

They managed to knock the feeder over so I opened up the door to the run and tried to move the food.  Treacle attacked like a crazed Tasmanian devil.....................well not quite, but she gave me a really good peck on the hand and drew blood.

Anyway I will live.


I think it is time for Custard and Pudding to take the lime light for 5 minutes. 


I have taken the opportunity whilst there has been a break in the weather to clean my main coop run.

I mentioned in previous posts the process I go through once or twice a year.  However I thought I would take a couple of photos.

I have to keep my hens in a fixed area due to my garden and having 3 young boys (They do get to run around the garden when cleaning out and more so in winter).  So to ensure any worms, smells and bacteria is kept to a minimum I clean the run and disinfect with Stalosan F.  I then top up with sand, this time I used play sand and then added a layer of woodchip, not bark.

Below are the before and after photos.


Before





If you are keeping chickens in your garden I would highly recommend Stalosan F.  Its a disinfectant and great at reducing smells.  It also can kill of any worms living in the soil.

I promise to risk life and limb and get a couple more photos of the chicks for the next entry! ;-)

Thank you for reading.



Wyandotte Chicks update day 4

The chicks are doing well.

I need to start thinking of names.  I have no idea if they are hens or cockerels, so 2 names of each should work. 

Last time I ask Jake my eldest for name suggestions, he decided on Spiderman for the Rhode Island Red Chick.  Rhys suggested Ben 10!!  Not really what I'm looking for.  For now Pinky and Perky will do.

Anyway, as mentioned in my last blog, I moved the broody coop and run on Sunday.

It is a compact coop and run.  It does not have a door to shut on the nest area but is well protected.  This however presented me with my first challenge.  Every time I moved towards the coop Treacle, Pinky and Perky walked into the run.  So I could not move it without risking an injury to them.

I checked most of the morning on Sunday and they seem to have camped permanently in the run.
Around 3 pm I had a little luck.  They were in the nest, but yet again they ran out to see what was happening.
I decided to pick the whole coop up.  BAD idea!

Treacle Pinky and Perky ran out and sat under the nearest bush!
Interesting!

I moved the run to the fresh grass and then tried to encourage Treacle into the run hoping that Pinky and Perky would follow.



Photo from Photobucket.com

 I forget how agile hens can be, especially when there are chicks involved.  Treacle raised the feathers on the back of her neck, opened here wings and had a look in her eye that said "do you feel lucky? Well do ya punk?".

Dirty Harry would have been proud.

As it happened I did not feel lucky, so I backed off.
She lowered her guard and turned her back to me.  So I took my opportunity and grabbed hold of her.  She was not impressed so I made a dash to the coop and put her safely in.

Then it was time for Pinky and Perky.  Easy?  Hmmm.  More slippery than a jellied eel.  But I did catch them.
They were so light and soft.  I did not hold them long as I did not want to upset Treacle.

So, what was intended to be a simple job turned into a mini adventure really.
Here they are nice a safe in their coop.
Please excuse the noise, Rhys and Ewan, my youngest, decided it was noisy time.

Thanks for reading.

Wyandotte Chicks Hatching

I was very pleased to see that one egg had hatched, so much so I actually bounced into work which has not happened for a long time.  

I could not get a photo yesterday morning.  The camera on my phone is not great, so when I returned in the afternoon, I took Rhys (my three and a half year old son) to see the chick as he was very excited.

With a little help we managed to get a photograph of the chick.  See right.

A very cute Wyandotte Black Lace Bantam.

Whilst out with the hens, I decided to watch Treacle for a while.  I noticed that one of the eggs had rolled out from underneath her and there was a crack in the egg. 

I managed to move the egg to the front of Treacle hoping she would pull it under her again for warmth, but she seemed to just watch it.

To my surprise I heard chirping and the egg started moving.  The chick was actually hatching.

I had my phone with me so I took a chance with the video.  See below.
Before you view it, a word of warning it is quite short.  As the chick started breaking through, Treacle pecked at it.  So I decided it would be best for me to tuck it under her.  She accepted it.  I have not edited the video.

 

So that is two out of six Wyandotte eggs that have hatched.  I have checked regularly and at about noon on Saturday 20th October, Treacle left the nest for the first time in approximately two days.  This is normally a pretty good sign that all hatching has finished.

I candled the eggs with an LED torch I have.  Two of the four un-hatched eggs appeared to have died very early on in the first couple of days.  One I believe was not fertile and the last I think died as day 15-17.  It's a shame but these things happen.

Chart from Avianweb.com
Image 7 shows the air sack according to number of days

For now I have disinfected the run with Stalosan F and will move it on Sunday to fresh grass.  I don't want coccidiosis which is a nasty parasite infection that can kill chicks in a few days.  Symptoms are chicks hunched up and blood in their droppings.
The photo below is of the two Black Lace Wyandotte chicks with Treacle.
They are tiny little things even compared to the Rhode Island Red chick I hatched earlier in the year.

I am becoming a little obsessed with hatching chicks and keeping chickens in general so watch this space! ;-)

Soon I will be posting my thoughts on the various old wives tales for breaking a broody hen and posting pictures of the new clean run for my other hens, Custard and Pudding.

Thanks again for reading.

Broody Speckledy Day 23!

My day has not started brilliantly.  4.30am wake up call by little Rhys!

My Mr Grumpy face was well and truly firing on all 4 cylinders this morning. 
I visited Treacle at 8.30ish to top up food and water.

8:31am = Mr Happy!


Yes!!!!!!!
Treacle's first egg has hatched, and the sound of chirping can be heard from the nest box.

I lifted treacle slightly risking a good old fashioned peck, and caught a glimpse of a dark black little chick!  Just one, but who knows if any of the other five Wyandottes will hatch.

More of an update later.
Thanks for reading

Broody Speckledy Day 22!

Well day 22 and still no action in the broody run! :-(

Treacle seems to be preparing for the Wyandotte chicks arrival but sadly they are not hatching.
I am slowly coming round to the idea that the eggs are not going to hatch.
Perhaps it's the time of year, maybe the eggs were not fertile or could it have been the roller coaster ride provided by Royal Mail?
It's a shame because I was really hoping to end up with a trio (male and two hens) to either keep or sell on as a breeding trio.  It's difficult to get hold of this breed in South Wales, so I will be having a go at hatching some more in the spring, but will again have to rely on royal mail to obtain the eggs.

There is a Poultry Show at Stoneleigh park Warwickshire on 17th and 18th November.  National Poultry Show .  Depending on commitments I may try and visit on either of the days.  It would be the first time I have attended a show!

Who knows what will happen.

Thanks for reading.
I will update the blog in a few days.

Broody Speckledy Final 24 Hours

It is the eve of hatching in the Homer household.  For me its almost as exciting as Christmas! ;-) 24 hours and counting!



Photo from incubatorwarehouse.com

There are no signs of piping yet.  (This is where the chick has broken through the sack inside the egg to reach the air sack and started breaking the outer shell of the egg). Treacle has however become very defensive over her eggs.



Two days ago she happily allowed me to pick her off the nest and place her next to the food and water.  Now it's like playing chicken on the Silverstone race track with a Ferrari F1 racing car.  She pecks at anything that moves especially my hands and fingers.  She is so quick it is impossible to dodge.
I may have to start wearing gloves.  :-(

I have read that hens can hear the chicks chirping inside the eggs the day before hatching.  To encourage the chicks to hatch they call back to them.  I think I heard Treacle doing this today as I filled the food and water containers.  Fingers crossed these little Wyandotte chicks will hatch soon.

I will post another update tomorrow, hopefully with good news!
Thanks for reading.

Broody Speckledy Hen Update Day 19

Rhode Island Red chick

Its 2 days and counting until we hope to hear the sound of chirping from the broody coop. 
It could of course be sooner.  The Rhode Island Red (left) that Treacle hatched 3 to 4 months ago arrived a day early.  Fortunately I had already bought a small pack of chick crumbs just in case.

The chicks apparently survive on the last of the undigested yolk in the stomach for 24 to 48 hours so in theory you could buy the food after the chicks have hatched, but I am concerned that the chick will try and eat the layers pellets in the run that Treacle has been eating.  The high calcium content in the layers can apparently kill the chick.  So I will be off to the local shop in the next day or two and will start feeding Treacle on the chick crumbs.  It will help her get back into condition quicker as it is higher in protein.

Treacle with quite a pale comb

I have also noticed that she is getting a little smelly.  I know chickens honk at the best of times, but she seems to have really let herself go this time in order to look after the eggs.

Broody hens can look quite ill and anaemic, so anything I can do to help her get back in to shape I will start as soon as I can.  I expect I will be buying poultry spice and poultry tonic as well as the chick crumbs.

No, before you say anything poultry spice is not the chicken version of old spice!  Its a mixture of spices like ginger that is in powder form that you add to the food.  Gives them a bit of a helping hand if feeling low and is worth giving in the winter time.

day 19 - photo from backgardenchickens.com

I tried candling the eggs the other day, but as the eggs are quite pale I could not see a lot.  That said I think at least one of the eggs seems to be progressing well.

Fingers crossed in the next 3 days I will be reporting hatchings with photos if possible.

Good luck Treacle!

Thanks for reading.