Our new babies!

Our first batch of chickens came via USPS from a hatchery so of course we have had no idea how to make this work. Yeah, we knew we needed a rooster and hen wise guy! But the problem was that we had three hens sitting in three of the five nesting boxes. No big deal until they get up for a drink, a bite to eat, and then get confused and get in another box and start laying more eggs. We didn't know which eggs were fresh and which were...well, developing. So, I decided to separate the three hens from the rest of the flock if they were so determined to set. I took three five-gallon buckets and filled them with sawdust, sectioned off half of the coop, got another waterer and feeder and then executed my plan. My wife and I went out to the coop well after dark and moved the eggs and the hens from the boxes to the buckets. By the time I had finished the third move the rooster was off the roost and having a fit. If he would have done that while I was moving the hens I would have had a heart attack.

The next moring one of the hens was still sitting, one had escaped into the general population and one was nesting on the sawdust in front of her eggs. We ate the stupid one, just joking. We watched and waited. We encouraged the one who continued to set. Gave her fresh water, food, etc and she sat, and sat, and sat. But then we went on vacation, lucky for the chicks! The incubation period is 21 days. If I would have been home on the 21st day after moving her I would have thrown the eggs out. My father was taking care of the birds while we were away. He too was going to throw the eggs out but a storm kept him from doing so. On the 22nd day there was one chick. On the 24th day there were 5 chicks. 5 eggs and 5 chicks 100% hatch rate. Unfortunately, one was too weak and died a day later but you can see the other 4 are doing well!