Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[3riverschick]

Quote: March is broody again. All that Light Sussex hen wants to do is sit eggs and raise chicks. All well and good but, hey! I have a schedule too. Boy, does she get mad when I gather the eggs every day. Well, I need at least 14 more eggs out of her before she is allowed to raise any more chicks herself. So, the end of June, if she still feels like it, she can go broody as much as she wants .
Best,
Karen

 

[cbnovick]

This is one of Dave Andersons buff Wyandottes. The combs need a little work, but most birds with rosecombs do. These are big birds! Walt

Looks like a nice big BUFF bird. Hmmmm.

 

[cluck-cluck]

March is broody again. All that Light Sussex hen wants to do is sit eggs and raise chicks. All well and good but, hey! I have a schedule too. Boy, does she get mad when I gather the eggs every day. Well, I need at least 14 more eggs out of her before she is allowed to raise any more chicks herself. So, the end of June, if she still feels like it, she can go broody as much as she wants .
Best,
Karen

Sorry for the dumb question, but will a broody lay an egg if her nest is emptied each day? I didn't notice one of mine laying and in fact she kept sitting on air for the longest time! Just wondering if that's normal?

 

[cbnovick]

Once a hen becomes truly full on broody, she may well even set a 'phantom' clutch for weeks...a broody hen won't continue to lay eggs...at least not in my experience...until she is out of the brooding phase.

so, to directly answer your question, they don't need a clutch of eggs or even 1.

 

[ocap]

Silver Penciled Wyandotte from Duane Urch hatched April 8

 

[cbnovick]

nice little pullet thus far

thx for posting the pic

 

[cluck-cluck]

Once a hen becomes truly full on broody, she may well even set a 'phantom' clutch for weeks...a broody hen won't continue to lay eggs...at least not in my experience...until she is out of the brooding phase.

so, to directly answer your question, they don't need a clutch of eggs or even 1.

Yah, that's what I've seen now too Thanks for confirming

Silver Penciled Wyandotte from Duane Urch hatched April 8

Sweet! What a handsome little girl!

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I know this is the large fowl thread but you guys are all pretty well connected so maybe you can point me in the right direction for good Dominique bantams?

 

[3riverschick]

When March is broody, she sits the nest but continues to lay until she reaches 6 eggs. Then she stops and sits them.
Honestly. I don't if that is normal or not. She is a great mama hen.
Best,
Karen

 

[Pozees]

When March is broody, she sits the nest but continues to lay until she reaches 6 eggs. Then she stops and sits them.
Honestly. I don't if that is normal or not. She is a great mama hen.
Best,
Karen

Makes sense. When I had exotics, which normally have small clutches (2-4 common, some breeds like cockatiels will lay more), they did exactly this.