non-broody fowl keepers

[The Birb King]

What is your experience with letting hens raise their chicks with the flock? Because that's what I'm planning to do with them, for the foreseeable future. If not I'd have to start building

Well I have heard horror stories of adult birds killing and eating chicks. So that is why when one of my full sized hens hatches chicks I separate them for a few weeks just in case. But I know my Seramas are fine around chicks so when those hens hatch their eggs im just gonna leave them in there.

 

[FunClucks]

Don't know if I qualify to share or not, but maybe you guys can relate. If not, let me know, I'll take this down.

First flock - 4 red sex-link, 6 prairie bluebells, 3 starlight green eggers, an olive egger and 2 buff orpingtons. No breeds known for broodiness except my BOs. One BO dies a month or two after starting to lay - never broody. Second BO is over a year old now, lays elongated/mishapen eggs every 2-3 days, never gone broody. The only broody I've had is, of all things, a starlight green egger.

Only two of my 3 SGEs actually lay green eggs, and one of them tried to go broody twice last year with awful timing (weather, etc). This year I actually let her set, and the brooding is in progress. 3 of 5 eggs were busted up by other hens(?) in the first 3 days so I partitioned off the run where she was sitting so they couldn't bug her anymore. The remaining eggs are covered with dried yolk and dirt, so not sure they're viable. So I gave her 4 more. The busted egg mess was so bad, I put a new nest box in the old spot and put her eggs inside. But she refused to go it, because it was a different color. So then I moved her eggs to the nest box right beside the first one, identical to the first nest box, but next to it. She was okay with that, and accepted the new nest location.

Will she have a staggered hatch? Will the first two babies make it? If the first babies make it, will she abandon the rest? If I hatch the other 4 in the incubator and tuck them back under her at night, will she accept them? Will she be a good mom to her chicks?

All important questions with no answers yet... Friday is the first hatch day, so we will see...

Crawling under the chicken wire is a PITA poop filled adventure, so I haven't candled any of the eggs. Figured she'd kick them out of the nest if they're not healthy? Would love to move the broody and her eggs to a wire dog crate, but afraid she'll break. Next time, I'm definitely going to have to plan this better...

Broody of unproven ability is in the red bucket.

For kicks and giggles, there's also two pictures of the crazy chicken who decided to wedge herself inside the pallet (between the chicken wire and the pallet wood) because I walked towards her and she randomly decided I was terrifying. I had to reach inside, physically turn her around, and pull her out headfirst in order to not tear off all her feathers.

 

[The Birb King]

I'll know in 35 days. SO LONG TO WAIT!

And I thought 21 days was long

 

[fluffycrow]

Don't know if I qualify to share or not, but maybe you guys can relate. If not, let me know, I'll take this down.

First flock - 4 red sex-link, 6 prairie bluebells, 3 starlight green eggers, an olive egger and 2 buff orpingtons. No breeds known for broodiness except my BOs. One BO dies a month or two after starting to lay - never broody. Second BO is over a year old now, lays elongated/mishapen eggs every 2-3 days, never gone broody. The only broody I've had is, of all things, a starlight green egger.

Only two of my 3 SGEs actually lay green eggs, and one of them tried to go broody twice last year with awful timing (weather, etc). This year I actually let her set, and the brooding is in progress. 3 of 5 eggs were busted up by other hens(?) in the first 3 days so I partitioned off the run where she was sitting so they couldn't bug her anymore. The remaining eggs are covered with dried yolk and dirt, so not sure they're viable. So I gave her 4 more. The busted egg mess was so bad, I put a new nest box in the old spot and put her eggs inside. But she refused to go it, because it was a different color. So then I moved her eggs to the nest box right beside the first one, identical to the first nest box, but next to it. She was okay with that, and accepted the new nest location.

Will she have a staggered hatch? Will the first two babies make it? If the first babies make it, will she abandon the rest? If I hatch the other 4 in the incubator and tuck them back under her at night, will she accept them? Will she be a good mom to her chicks?

All important questions with no answers yet... Friday is the first hatch day, so we will see...

Crawling under the chicken wire is a PITA poop filled adventure, so I haven't candled any of the eggs. Figured she'd kick them out of the nest if they're not healthy? Would love to move the broody and her eggs to a wire dog crate, but afraid she'll break. Next time, I'm definitely going to have to plan this better...

Broody of unproven ability is in the red bucket.

For kicks and giggles, there's also two pictures of the crazy chicken who decided to wedge herself inside the pallet (between the chicken wire and the pallet wood) because I walked towards her and she randomly decided I was terrifying. I had to reach inside, physically turn her around, and pull her out headfirst in order to not tear off all her feathers.

No need to take this down, as Wind will tell you most are here to bully me anyway (don't worry we are joking I'm not actually being bullied), Welcome! Now for your questions, if the second batch of eggs is due days apart then yes, most likely she will abandon them. It's also a gamble as to whether she'll accept the chicks later. It all depends on how close the two dates are

 

[FunClucks]

No need to take this down, as Wind will tell you most are here to bully me anyway (don't worry we are joking I'm not actually being bullied), Welcome! Now for your questions, if the second batch of eggs is due days apart then yes, most likely she will abandon them. It's also a gamble as to whether she'll accept the chicks later. It all depends on how close the two dates are

Thanks for the welcome! Hope you get a broody hen soon - sounds like it's been more difficult than it really should be to get one. How crazy and frustrating!

Crossing my fingers!!! First eggs were added morning/mid-day Friday. Second set added Monday morning. Third set (I forgot until just now, I added eggs twice on Monday!) added Monday around 5pm.

Wasn't sure the first remaining two would hatch and wanted her to for-sure have some babies. Probably should have just removed everything and started over on Monday, now that I'm thinking about it...

If I take the yolk encrusted eggs out and hatch them in the incubator (assuming they hatch), then hold on to them for a few days and tuck them back under her once the Monday eggs hatch, do you think she'll accept them better?

 

[fluffycrow]

Thanks for the welcome! Hope you get a broody hen soon - sounds like it's been more difficult than it really should be to get one. How crazy and frustrating!

Crossing my fingers!!! First eggs were added morning/mid-day Friday. Second set added Monday morning. Third set (I forgot until just now, I added eggs twice on Monday!) added Monday around 5pm.

Wasn't sure the first remaining two would hatch and wanted her to for-sure have some babies. Probably should have just removed everything and started over on Monday, now that I'm thinking about it...

If I take the yolk encrusted eggs out and hatch them in the incubator (assuming they hatch), then hold on to them for a few days and tuck them back under her once the Monday eggs hatch, do you think she'll accept them better?

Thanks. You're definitely in a pickle! Now, as you know I've never had a broody, but 11 years have led me to read up on this topic a lot. At the end of the day though, the advice I'll give you will only be what I've learned from my research, and from reading and hearing about other people's experiences. Now, I'd say that it's a gamble. If her first egg get delayed a few hours or even a day, then it might work quite well. It might also work if she hasn't moved from the neat by the time the second (and third) batch hatches. If she has started moving, I'd wait till close to (their) bedtime. Introduce them then, and if it goes well, check again a few times till you go to bed, and then again the next morning. If they haven't been rejected or killed by then, you're good

 

[FunClucks]

Thanks. You're definitely in a pickle! Now, as you know I've never had a broody, but 11 years have led me to read up on this topic a lot. At the end of the day though, the advice I'll give you will only be what I've learned from my research, and from reading and hearing about other people's experiences. Now, I'd say that it's a gamble. If her first egg get delayed a few hours or even a day, then it might work quite well. It might also work if she hasn't moved from the neat by the time the second (and third) batch hatches. If she has started moving, I'd wait till close to (their) bedtime. Introduce them then, and if it goes well, check again a few times till you go to bed, and then again the next morning. If they haven't been rejected or killed by then, you're good

Sounds like a good plan! Thanks!

Wish I could quit doing everything the hard way. My first incubation was a mess (did a staggered hatch by accident, jury rigged a pressure cooker still-air incubator from my reptile supplies to hatch 3 eggs, had to hand turn the WHOLE time because I overloaded my incubator and had 0 clears, ended up with 12/20 roosters that I had to rehome, had to cull my first chick for a birth defect, etc.).

On top of all that I decided to purchase meat birds that arrived 2 days prior to my eggers hatch date (they were on sale! Turns out they were on sale because only people with indoor processing capabilities want to be processing meat birds in March!), so while I was brooding the chicks I'd hatched I was also brooding 25 CX to 4 weeks in my garage (do NOT recommend unless you must!). Way too much work and effort.

I thought broody incubation and chick raising would be easier (Ha!) Guess you live and learn... I keep figuring out I've made things harder for myself after the fact.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Oh that Canadian weather.....hope you can finish it soon enough. Maybe put each hen in a kennel-type setup?

With nowhere to put it because of the mud.

And my daughter has all my small ones. Not the daughter I live with, the other one.

I have enough animals inside right now, I don't need broody hens, lol! Wait... The OEGB is inside and brooding...

 

[fluffycrow]

With nowhere to put it because of the mud.

And my daughter has all my small ones. Not the daughter I live with, the other one.

I have enough animals inside right now, I don't need broody hens, lol! Wait... The OEGB is inside and brooding...

How many days has it been?

 

[Canadian Wind]

How many days has it been?

For the OEGB? Absolutely no idea!!! But, the eggs from them that I set are now hatching, so I figure about a week behind? I will know when she starts moving around with little fluffers.