2 Acre Woods

Our 3rd lot of chicks have hatched – not a great hatch rate at all this time. Two hens were sitting on 26 eggs together, but only 12 hatched.  The other hen in the neighbouring nest, due a day after the other two hatched out one that promptly jumped nest & hung out with the other chicks.  We were given a chick as well yesterday that was from one of our eggs but hatched elsewhere in an incubator.  They had a power cut & only one egg hatched out of that lot so thought it best to pop it in with ours.  Solo chicks don’t do so well.  Looks like the three hens will share parenting duties of all 13 chicks, even though little Brahma Putra, the pekin hen is futilely still trying to hatch more eggs.

Amongst the new chicks is the most beautiful one with really striking markings.  It has feathery legs & feet, so one of it’s parents is a pekin, but which one, I’m not sure.  Who the other parent is is anybody’s guess!  I wish I knew though because I’d definitely breed more of them if I could figure it out.  I think I need to do more genetic traits research to get an answer.

I’ve just had a look & it appears we’ve had another two hatch overnight & one of them is a gorgeous little fluffy legged Pekin with the same pattern as this one, but in grey/brown tones. 

With the help of a breeder who knows his chooks, the parentage has been sussed out.  Zara, the Barnevelder X is the mother & Little Rooster, the pekin, is the father.  This is them…

Here’s Berry, the first mama hen, snuggling with her chicks in the sandpit.

And the feeding frenzy when they were given cous cous for lunch!  The beautiful brown one on top of the food was named Cleo because of her striking black eyeliner markings.  Unfortunately she disappeared the day after this was taken.  No idea what fate befell her. 

And this is Dottie, second mama to hatch her chicks.  She’d rather take my hand off than let me see her offspring, so this pic is a treat!  I have seen 7 chicks so far, 2 yellow, 1 brown & 4 black.  She was sitting on 16 eggs so it will be interesting to see how many hatch.

Over the last couple of days, Berry, our beautiful silver laced Wyandotte, who was attacked by a fox a few months ago, finally hatched out 11 gorgeous fluffy little chicks!  The first hatchling was a pure Pekin chick that unfortunately died overnight.  There was another one there this morning though, so I’m glad we got at least one pure bird.  The others are a motley lot & it’s unknown who the mothers and fathers are, so it’s a bit like a chick lucky dip!

Check out the gorgeous fluffy feathery feet on the little Pekin chick:

This next chick is a bit weird.  It hops around on it’s haunches, not walking on it’s feet like the others.  It also always seems to have a pooey bum.  Not sure what’s wrong with it.  I’m doing some research.  It may not make it.

Much excitement today as we welcomed our newest additions to the family – freshly hatched spiny leaf insects (Extatosoma tiaratem). Fascinating creatures, the eggs have a tasty bit on them that ants love to eat, so they carry the eggs into their nests and leave them there. The eggs then get the warmth and moisture they need to hatch. When they hatch they mimic ants by curling up their tails so that they can get out of the nest without being attacked and eaten by the ants. Once above ground, they find the nearest gum tree to climb up & begin munching. They can take anywhere from 2 months to 3 years to hatch. We got lucky, these two took just 3 months. Not sure how long the next 7 eggs will take to hatch though! Pretty cool, huh?

(Warning: graphic photo’s in this post)

We had a horrible fox attack last night. I’ve had the chook dome in action for a couple of years & never had a problem until last night. I heard my rooster going crazy about 10 or 11pm so I ran outside with the torch & saw the fox at the bottom of the yard. The chooks were okay but frightened. Then today I discovered the little blighter had come back and got into it under the skirt of wire on the ground or through a gap he’d opened near the entrance (unsure where as both looked used) & taken a plymouth rock hen.  Scratcher, the rooster’s comb is all bloodied & our australorp, Astro, had her back ripped open quite badly & a silver laced wyandotte, Berry, had her neck bitten with opposing puncture wounds.

Took them to the vet this afternoon. It was too late to stitch Astros back so it will have to heal as it is. The vet suggested antibiotics, but I refused, asking for a more natural alternative, so we’re to bathe it twice daily in a betadine solution. He then told me that if she had been given antibiotics then they couldn’t guarantee that her eggs would ever be safe to eat again.

I’ve put the rooster & the unharmed three hens in our other chook yard that is (hopefully) more secure with the other 21 chooks & roosters. They’re in a separated area within the yard so I hope the roo’s don’t fight. Astro & Berry are now living in the childrens cubby by the house for the next three weeks or so until their wounds fully heal.

I’m devastated. I love my chooks & it breaks my heart that one was taken in such a horrible way & the others hurt. We had advertised locally asking for an old cubby or shed suitable for a new chook house & have one we’ve been offered that we will collect this weekend. How ironic. Just not soon enough. Hoping the rotten fox doesn’t come back. I’m really worried. The other yard is much safer, but I just don’t trust foxes at all.