Another successful broody graft.

[bawkbawkbawk]

Just in case anyone needs encouragement to try it - we just gave our Bella two baby chicks (which we acquired thanks to some help from @SurferchickinSB !) and it has gone so well, again. Buff Orpingtons make spectacular broody moms, although so did my little Mille Fleur d'Uccle.

Mostly, it is just SO much easier to have a broody hen raise chicks than to hand raise them.

Pix and story here: https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2019/07/20/a-new-chicken-chapter/

And here: https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/just-add-chicks/

 

[DobieLover]

SO much easier to have a broody hen raise chicks

I agree... but this wasn't a graft. She isn't the biological mother though.

 

[chookchick]

Lovely! I recently "tricked" a broody also, no going back to brooder boxes if i have a mama around!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

@DobieLover so sweet! I didn't know Barred Rocks went broody!

 

[DobieLover]

@DobieLover so sweet! I didn't know Barred Rocks went broody!

Apparently they do. As do Rhode Island Reds and black Australorps.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

I have an Australorp who has never given even a passing thought to going broody. You must have some magic going on in your flock!

But one of my EE’s went broody in January and I was like, um, are you sure? She’s at the bottom of the pecking order so I didn’t trust her to be able to defend chicks so we just waited for our tried and true BO to go broody.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have an Australorp who has never given even a passing thought to going broody. You must have some magic going on in your flock!

But one of my EE’s went broody in January and I was like, um, are you sure? She’s at the bottom of the pecking order so I didn’t trust her to be able to defend chicks so we just waited for our tried and true BO to go broody.

My BO goes broody all the frickin time! Every couple if months now. Drives me crazy when I don't need a broody - lol!

Congrats, @bawkbawkbawk ! And way to go, @SurferchickinSB !

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Just in case anyone needs encouragement to try it - we just gave our Bella two baby chicks (which we acquired thanks to some help from @SurferchickinSB !) and it has gone so well, again. Buff Orpingtons make spectacular broody moms, although so did my little Mille Fleur d'Uccle.

Mostly, it is just SO much easier to have a broody hen raise chicks than to hand raise them.

Pix and story here: https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2019/07/20/a-new-chicken-chapter/

And here: https://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/just-add-chicks/

I ended up doing the same thing for my broody, LOL!

 

[Robert G]

I had a broody red cochin bantam that I didn't want to have any chicks because I already had a big hatch this spring. I tried to break her, but she would run back to the nesting area and lay on whatever eggs she could find from the other hens. It's been 2 months and she still wouldn't give up. I went to buy some feed at TSC and to my surprise they had chicks! I gave in and got 4 silkies since that's all they had left. I snuck them under her that night in her nesting box and in the morning she was up with them. I gave them chick starter and water and she immediately called them to it. My cochins have always been good mothers. Plus they raise them for about 2 months while the others usually only do 1 and leave them.

 

[Robert G]

I had a broody red cochin bantam that I didn't want to have any chicks because I already had a big hatch this spring. I tried to break her, but she would run back to the nesting area and lay on whatever eggs she could find from the other hens. It's been 2 months and she still wouldn't give up. I went to buy some feed at TSC and to my surprise they had chicks! I gave in and got 4 silkies since that's all they had left. I snuck them under her that night in her nesting box and in the morning she was up with them. I gave them chick starter and water and she immediately called them to it. My cochins have always been good mothers. Plus they raise them for about 2 months while the others usually only do 1 and leave them.