Broodies and their Babies

[Faraday40]

I just started a couple of years ago, and have over 80 birds right now. Between incubating what I want, and allowing my broodies to hatch this year (first for me!) my population exploded. But I'm watching for good ones to breed and selling the rest, and have a business plan in mind for very soon. Right now I have a "day job" but hope to do this full time eventually.

I can certainly understand the enjoyment. I'm a stay at home mom but I also teach classes, run science summer camps, babysit and sell eggs to supplement family income. When I went through recent earnings, I found that almost 1/2 of my income has been related to chickens in some way. (I taught several chicken-related classes as well as the selling of chicks & eggs.) I can see there is a market for it.

 

[WVduckchick]

I can certainly understand the enjoyment. I'm a stay at home mom but I also teach classes, run science summer camps, babysit and sell eggs to supplement family income. When I went through recent earnings, I found that almost 1/2 of my income has been related to chickens in some way. (I taught several chicken-related classes as well as the selling of chicks & eggs.) I can see there is a market for it.

That's great! Really! Because most everyone says they are always in the hole. lol
But I do crafts, sewing and woodworking also, and have a huge list of ideas to go along with the live birds and eggs and such. What kind of chicken-related classes do you do?

 

[Faraday40]

That's great! Really! Because most everyone says they are always in the hole. lol
But I do crafts, sewing and woodworking also, and have a huge list of ideas to go along with the live birds and eggs and such. What kind of chicken-related classes do you do?

Because I'm a certified teacher & also have school-age kids, I teach science lessons at the local schools. Sometimes they offer to pay me a small fee. Most of the time the schools ask for freebies, but there are always a few kids/families that really get into it & want to learn more. For those I offer some more advanced hands-on backyard classes. I also get paid to teach classes at the park district. This year I taught embryology at 6 different locations then sold the chicks when the classes were over. It's a seasonal thing, so I'll be in the hole when the chickens molt & decide to take their winter break. Just have to save up the spring/summer profits to make it through the lean fall/winter months. In our situation, the chickens are pets & I'm just trying to find ways for the pets to pay for themselves. (Haven't been able to do that with the dogs, yet.)

 

[Faraday40]

Here's an update on our little Sebright & family. If you're like me & read that this breed rarely goes broody, you'll be happy to know that when they do, they're great little moms. When I finally gave in to her persistent broodiness, I gave her some orp eggs since she was too small to be fertilized by our giant English Orp roo,

Happy mama with 2 day old chicks


1 week old chicks going for a walk with mama. The 2nd black one looked like an extra male, so we rehomed him.


3.5 week old chicks getting bedtime snuggles.

Confused mama trying to cover her giant 4 week old chicks


5 week old chicks surpassed mama in size, but she still mothered them 24/7.



At 7 weeks, our Sebright (Trouble) began laying again & spent more time away from her babies.
The chicks turned 10 weeks old today. Here's the tiny mama with her giant chicks.




Trouble has also resumed to doing her regular tricks for treats, so all is good again.
Here she is flying up to my daughter's arm when called. Thankfully, the giant chicks were never trained to do this. LOL

 

[Athaid]

Great pictures Faraday, Sebrights are a beautiful breed.

 

[Bantambird]

Broody sebrights are so funny! I used to have a few of them 20 years ago. I love the pictures!

 

[WVduckchick]

Although she looks like she is yelling at me, she really doesn't mind me bothering her at all.
If you look closely, all 7 little ones are peeking out.

 

[amynrichie]

Here is the most recent picture of my Broody and her 8 week old brood:

She is apparently trying to lay an egg, and they can't leave her side for a minute!

 

[Bantambird]

mama hen and poults play in the pool to keep cool.

 

[Faraday40]

Here is the most recent picture of my Broody and her 8 week old brood:



She is apparently trying to lay an egg, and they can't leave her side for a minute!