baby chicks. Can it happen naturally?

[huevosfritos]

Will I have baby chicks without incubating the eggs? I have a white rock hen that seems to be very eager to become a mamma

i have no idea how that works but I guess if it happens in nature...I might get lucky

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OH ya it's possible. Let her sit on the eggs and when she is done laying her clutch of eggs she will incubate them and they will hatch 21 days later

Good luck and share pics! The hen works better then the bator!

 

[huevosfritos]

really????

Ok, a few questions... I have 19 hens and 12 nests. Henrietta (the white rock) not always goes into the same nest and sometimes while she is sitting I hear other chickens "yelling " at her because she is taking too long!!!...or that's what I think

.
They just started laying a month ago. Do you think i should wait until they are older, and the "pecking" order is better stablished?
I will have babiessssssssss!!! soooooo excited!!!!!

 

[Wynette]

Umm.......I'm assuming you have a rooster? You'll need one (or more) if you want chicks....

 

[bugladyleah]

LOL...I was thinking the same thing....a rooster is required. There is no "immaculate conception"....hehe.

 

[huevosfritos]

oh yeah, of course, I have 5 roosters... I just numbered the hens to make the point that more than one chicken goes into the same nest.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Mine all scream when an egg is being laid. For some reason they all feel the need to announce it to the world.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

There's a difference between a hen using a nest for laying, even taking a long time to do it, and a hen going broody. Research the topic so you'll know when it happens. Sometimes they want to brood in the common nest boxes, sometimes they'll find their own private place.

I don't let my hens brood in the coop because they're often interrupted by other hens kicking them out & laying a new egg in the nest. Also, the hen can forget which nest was hers, and settle into another nest after her coffee breaks and let her developing chicks cool & die.

I use a 3-step process:

1. Wait to see if a hen will set brooding for at least 24 hours in the coop. Take out any eggs under her, leave fake eggs in their place.

2. The next night, take her & the nest box (I use flat-sided plastic horse buckets) to the separate cage I use for brooding. See if she'll stay on the nest there for another 24 hours.

3. The night after that, set the eggs I want to be hatched under the settled, committed broody hen. Go inside & mark the date on the calendar 20-21 days in the future.

I wish you & your hens success!

 

[huevosfritos]

very helpful!!!Thanks a lot!!!

 

[huevosfritos]

Sunny_Side_Up...it seems like you are very knowledgeable about this birds. I would like to ask you for a favor. I posted on the "diseases" forum a question I have about my birds getting scabs on their comb. There are some good pictures too. Would you take a minute to look and tell me what the problems seems to be for you?
Thanks
Victoria