I have my first baby chickens! Chicks, I should say!

I've had chickens for about 18 months now, but only the silkies have
successfully hatched any of their own eggs. My hens are all the kind
that don't sit any more. I've tried repeatedly to put some of the big
eggs under the silkies, but something has gone wrong every time. I've
had two silky hens sitting on eggs since December sometime - I was
really daft and didn't write the date down. Eventually I had to remove
the eggs, but they stayed sitting on the empty nests, and so I gave them
more eggs to sit on. I realise (now) that that isn't very wise, but I
did it. Won't do that again.

Anyway!!!
Yesterday morning my other half cam running excitedly into the bedroom,
and all he could say was CHICKS CHICKS CHICKS!!
lol
And so we spent the morning watching 5 (of the 6) eggs gradually
appearing under her, all wet and yucky, and now all fluffy and cute.
And she's so proud, and the first thing she did today was take a dust bath.

Catherine

Delightful little miracle isn't it?
I never tired of hatching chicks...
It's one thing I really miss about keeping chickens and
ducks. <sigh

I have my first baby chickens! Chicks, I should say!

I've had chickens for about 18 months now, but only the silkies have
successfully hatched any of their own eggs. My hens are all the kind that
don't sit any more. I've tried repeatedly to put some of the big eggs
under the silkies, but something has gone wrong every time. I've had two
silky hens sitting on eggs since December sometime - I was really daft and
didn't write the date down. Eventually I had to remove the eggs, but they
stayed sitting on the empty nests, and so I gave them more eggs to sit on.
I realise (now) that that isn't very wise, but I did it. Won't do that
again.

Anyway!!!
Yesterday morning my other half cam running excitedly into the bedroom,
and all he could say was CHICKS CHICKS CHICKS!!
lol
And so we spent the morning watching 5 (of the 6) eggs gradually appearing
under her, all wet and yucky, and now all fluffy and cute.
And she's so proud, and the first thing she did today was take a dust
bath.

Catherine

--
== Not nuts, just a little eccentric ==
http://www.africanbush.co.za
African Bush Tours and Safaris

"pecan" <pecan.nospam@iafrica.com> wrote in message
news:ernav6$8nt$1@wblv-ip-nnrp-1.saix.net...
I have my first baby chickens! Chicks, I should say!

I've had chickens for about 18 months now, but only the silkies have
successfully hatched any of their own eggs. My hens are all the kind that
don't sit any more. I've tried repeatedly to put some of the big eggs
under the silkies, but something has gone wrong every time. I've had two
silky hens sitting on eggs since December sometime - I was really daft and
didn't write the date down. Eventually I had to remove the eggs, but they
stayed sitting on the empty nests, and so I gave them more eggs to sit on.
I realise (now) that that isn't very wise, but I did it. Won't do that
again.

Anyway!!!
Yesterday morning my other half cam running excitedly into the bedroom,
and all he could say was CHICKS CHICKS CHICKS!!
lol
And so we spent the morning watching 5 (of the 6) eggs gradually appearing
under her, all wet and yucky, and now all fluffy and cute.
And she's so proud, and the first thing she did today was take a dust
bath.

Catherine

First hatchings are very special. Subsequent ones are exciting too but not
exactly the same, it's like having babies ... and grandchildren. In the case
of the latter the novelty does wear off ...

Mary
--

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't experience those
novelties.

I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch arrives. Maybe
I'll have something similar then.

Omelet <omp_omelet@gmail.com> wrote in
news:omp_omelet-0B8BC7.12293323022007@news.giganews.com:

Delightful little miracle isn't it?
I never tired of hatching chicks...
It's one thing I really miss about keeping chickens and
ducks. <sigh

did you ever have emu chicks? i've never seen a chick, only
adult emus (& somehow i don't think i could convince Tom we
should get emus...)
lee

Omelet <omp_omelet@gmail.com> wrote in
news:omp_omelet-0B8BC7.12293323022007@news.giganews.com:

Delightful little miracle isn't it?
I never tired of hatching chicks...
It's one thing I really miss about keeping chickens and
ducks. <sigh

did you ever have emu chicks?

i've never seen a chick, only
adult emus (& somehow i don't think i could convince Tom we
should get emus...)
lee

in thread news:Xns98E1532E2A19Benigmaempirenet@199.125.85.9: enigma
enigma@evil.net> whittled the following words:

Omelet <omp_omelet@gmail.com> wrote in
news:omp_omelet-0B8BC7.12293323022007@news.giganews.com:

Delightful little miracle isn't it?
I never tired of hatching chicks...
It's one thing I really miss about keeping chickens and
ducks. <sigh

did you ever have emu chicks? i've never seen a chick, only
adult emus (& somehow i don't think i could convince Tom we
should get emus...)
lee

Do emus keep away fox?

Mary Fisher wrote:
"pecan" <pecan.nospam@iafrica.com> wrote in message
news:ernav6$8nt$1@wblv-ip-nnrp-1.saix.net...
I have my first baby chickens! Chicks, I should say!

I've had chickens for about 18 months now, but only the silkies have
successfully hatched any of their own eggs. My hens are all the kind
that don't sit any more. I've tried repeatedly to put some of the big
eggs under the silkies, but something has gone wrong every time. I've
had two silky hens sitting on eggs since December sometime - I was
really daft and didn't write the date down. Eventually I had to remove
the eggs, but they stayed sitting on the empty nests, and so I gave them
more eggs to sit on. I realise (now) that that isn't very wise, but I
did it. Won't do that again.

Anyway!!!
Yesterday morning my other half cam running excitedly into the bedroom,
and all he could say was CHICKS CHICKS CHICKS!!
lol
And so we spent the morning watching 5 (of the 6) eggs gradually
appearing under her, all wet and yucky, and now all fluffy and cute.
And she's so proud, and the first thing she did today was take a dust
bath.

Catherine

First hatchings are very special. Subsequent ones are exciting too but
not exactly the same, it's like having babies ... and grandchildren. In
the case of the latter the novelty does wear off ...

Mary
--

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't experience those
novelties.
I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch arrives. Maybe
I'll have something similar then.

I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch arrives. Maybe
I'll have something similar then.

Amy Blankenship wrote:

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't
experience those novelties.
I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch
arrives. Maybe I'll have something similar then.

Hope you have lots of money to spend on vet bills. A
"correct" bulldog cannot whelp naturally.



Well, that's not strictly true, it's just that breeders
don't like to take the chance. Our last bulldog, which was
a pet, but was covered by another pedigreed dog, had no
problem at all. I'm not quite sure whether we'll take the
chance when the time comes, or not. It's going to be a
while, anyway, as she's just had a litter at the current
breeder's premises. Not sure how many litters a bitch can
safely have.

Amy Blankenship wrote:

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't experience those
novelties.
I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch arrives. Maybe
I'll have something similar then.

Hope you have lots of money to spend on vet bills. A "correct" bulldog
cannot whelp naturally.

Well, that's not strictly true, it's just that breeders don't like to take
the chance. Our last bulldog, which was a pet, but was covered by another
pedigreed dog, had no problem at all. I'm not quite sure whether we'll
take the chance when the time comes, or not. It's going to be a while,
anyway, as she's just had a litter at the current breeder's premises. Not
sure how many litters a bitch can safely have.

pecan <pecan.nospam@iafrica.com> wrote in
news:erq11t$1e$1@wblv-ip-nnrp-1.saix.net:

Amy Blankenship wrote:

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't
experience those novelties.
I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch
arrives. Maybe I'll have something similar then.

Hope you have lots of money to spend on vet bills. A
"correct" bulldog cannot whelp naturally.



Well, that's not strictly true, it's just that breeders
don't like to take the chance. Our last bulldog, which was
a pet, but was covered by another pedigreed dog, had no
problem at all. I'm not quite sure whether we'll take the
chance when the time comes, or not. It's going to be a
while, anyway, as she's just had a litter at the current
breeder's premises. Not sure how many litters a bitch can
safely have.

well, i prefer no more than one per year, but i'm
conservative that way. gives the bitch lots of time to heal &
regain tone.
also, i think Amy's in the US & the AKC standards for
bulldogs are not the same as the UKCs, etc. i *think* the
European standard for bulldogs is a little healthier than the
US standard.

pecan <pecan.nospam@iafrica.com> wrote in
news:erq11t$1e$1@wblv-ip-nnrp-1.saix.net:

Amy Blankenship wrote:

lol
I don't have children, and now I'm too old, so won't
experience those novelties.
I am going to be breeding bulldogs, as soon as the bitch
arrives. Maybe I'll have something similar then.

Hope you have lots of money to spend on vet bills. A
"correct" bulldog cannot whelp naturally.



Well, that's not strictly true, it's just that breeders
don't like to take the chance. Our last bulldog, which was
a pet, but was covered by another pedigreed dog, had no
problem at all. I'm not quite sure whether we'll take the
chance when the time comes, or not. It's going to be a
while, anyway, as she's just had a litter at the current
breeder's premises. Not sure how many litters a bitch can
safely have.

well, i prefer no more than one per year, but i'm
conservative that way. gives the bitch lots of time to heal &
regain tone.
also, i think Amy's in the US & the AKC standards for
bulldogs are not the same as the UKCs, etc. i *think* the
European standard for bulldogs is a little healthier than the
US standard.