•••BEFORE YOU POST A NEW TOPIC - Make sure it belongs in this section!

[suzannevans]

I am VERY, VERY new at this and have asked several people locally and get different answers. So here goes, do you have to have a rooster for you to be able to hatch eggs? Seems like a pretty simple question to me, but nobody seems to be able to give me a yes orno.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I am VERY, VERY new at this and have asked several people locally and get different answers. So here goes, do you have to have a rooster for you to be able to hatch eggs? Seems like a pretty simple question to me, but nobody seems to be able to give me a yes orno.

Yes, you do. Your hens will lay eggs, but the eggs will not be fertile and will not develop into chicks unless you have a rooster.

Welcome to BYC.

In the spirit of being helpful--you might not have realized that you posted this in a thread about what posts go where, so only a few people will see it. In general, one does not start a new topic in a thread on a different topic. You would get a much better response to your question if you started a new thread on your specific topic, perhaps in the "Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying" forum.

 

[jodom92]

Ok so I have a question- Up until about 3 nights ago I had 5 free ranging hens and one roo, but something came into our yard twice while I wasn't home & killed my entire flock except for my last bantam hen Phantom. She has been nesting under our front porch for over a month and yesterday her chicks finally hatched. She is very protective and nearly impossible to catch but I don't want she and her babies being killed by this thing if it comes back which it most likely will. She attacks me whenever I get too close to the chicks although I was able to catch them all this morning but then I stupidly gave them back to her lol. I fixed our chicken house and was wondering if it's worth all the stress on both me and her if I try to catch her and her chicks or just trust that she will be able to adequately protect herself and the babies and mostly stay hidden? I tried catching her about an hour ago in a clothes hamper which didn't work and just made her freak out and act like she almost abandoned her babies. So I just need any support I can get on this because I really want these adorable little chicks (and Phantom) to be safe. (BTW we're in south GA so it's not been very cold lately in case anyone is concerned.)

 

[Mrs. K]

throw a towel over her, they usually sit quietly after that. Then wrap up her, and any babies that you can and move her into the coop. Make sure there is bedding on the floor of the coop. Go back and get any babies that you missed and stick them under her, and lock the whole works into the coop for a spell...... several hours.

Then she will be safe, and the chicks will be safe. Predators love a broody hen. She will not be safe out there without a barrier.

Mrs K

 

[sunflour]

I am still fairly new to the forum and maybe this is to "picky", but I do try to post to the section that seems most appropriate for my question. The category I have some indecision about is the "Chicken Behaviors and Egg Laying". I seems to me this could be separated into 2 categories…1 for general behavior issues and the other for Egg laying behavior. Or should general behavior questions be posted in managing your flock if not related to their egg laying?