Barbu de Watermael thread?

[SarahLadd]

Oh Im in LOVE! They're so pretty!

Yes that is the proper reaction to seeing the world's Most Perfect Chicken. They are truly the apex. No need to look any further.

 

[CastielH]

Yes that is the proper reaction to seeing the world's Most Perfect Chicken. They are truly the apex. No need to look any further.

Agreed!

 

[TallPinesRanch]

Anyone have their Watermaal hens ever go broody. Albeit my daughter's are only about 18 months old so it may come with maturity.

This year my OEB hen hatched out 3 chicks. I have a bantam rock sitting on 6 more eggs so hopefully we have a few more in a couple weeks.

She absolutely loves these birds. Her Watermaal roo is her Showmanship bird and instead of having him walk with a stick behind his legs shes taught him to follow her finger. He's the most chill little guy.

 

[Amer]

Anyone have their Watermaal hens ever go broody. Albeit my daughter's are only about 18 months old so it may come with maturity.

This year my OEB hen hatched out 3 chicks. I have a bantam rock sitting on 6 more eggs so hopefully we have a few more in a couple weeks.

She absolutely loves these birds. Her Watermaal roo is her Showmanship bird and instead of having him walk with a stick behind his legs shes taught him to follow her finger. He's the most chill little guy.

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Precious!

 

[SarahLadd]

Anyone have their Watermaal hens ever go broody. Albeit my daughter's are only about 18 months old so it may come with maturity.

This year my OEB hen hatched out 3 chicks. I have a bantam rock sitting on 6 more eggs so hopefully we have a few more in a couple weeks.

She absolutely loves these birds. Her Watermaal roo is her Showmanship bird and instead of having him walk with a stick behind his legs shes taught him to follow her finger. He's the most chill little guy.

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No. My hens are 2 years old now. My only broody bird is millefleur d'anvers (and it is an absolute miserable fight to keep her from being broody 24/7, 365 days of the year).

 

[CastielH]

Anyone have their Watermaal hens ever go broody. Albeit my daughter's are only about 18 months old so it may come with maturity.

This year my OEB hen hatched out 3 chicks. I have a bantam rock sitting on 6 more eggs so hopefully we have a few more in a couple weeks.

She absolutely loves these birds. Her Watermaal roo is her Showmanship bird and instead of having him walk with a stick behind his legs shes taught him to follow her finger. He's the most chill little guy.

View attachment 3886816View attachment 3886814View attachment 3886815

I had one of my pullets go broody earlier this year, she was a great mom and took a second chick I gave her after her single egg hatched without missing a beat. She was about 9-10 months old.

 

[lisa69]

I hope my watemaels will rear their own young. They are just starting laying. They are laying in the nesting box, but they show no interest. I've also found a few fairly eggs. Don't know if I should take them and incubate or wait to see if any hen gets broody. I hate to waste the eggs as people say they are not great layers.

 

[lisa69]

I had one of my pullets go broody earlier this year, she was a great mom and took a second chick I gave her after her single egg hatched without missing a beat. She was about 9-10 months old.View attachment 3887019

mine are just laying now. I hope they go broody, but they don't seem interested yet.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

If they just started you may not have the greatest fertility. I would go ahead a collect the eggs an incubate them.
Fairy eggs can’t hatch.

 

[CastielH]

I hope my watemaels will rear their own young. They are just starting laying. They are laying in the nesting box, but they show no interest. I've also found a few fairly eggs. Don't know if I should take them and incubate or wait to see if any hen gets broody. I hate to waste the eggs as people say they are not great layers.

It took my girl a few months after she started laying to go broody, and a few times to set. Once you see your girls laying normal sized eggs regularly what I did was put a fake egg in the nesting box and as soon as a girl sat on it for a few days I let her keep some real ones.