Maugwa
Songster
Hi,
I have a small flock. I have two RIRs, one of which is my only rooster, four Barred Rocks, five Golden Comets, and four Buff Orpingtons. I'm hoping that at least a couple go broody later this Spring. We still have snow in the Wyoming Rockies. They all were a year old Easter (those chicks spent their 3 weeks in my office in the house, and another 2 weeks shut in their new coup while snow melted outside.
My rooster is a bad boy. I broke him from attacking me, but he still attacks my hundred plus pound coon hound, who would kill him in an instant if I told him too, but he's a good dog and tries to stay away from that rooster. The rooster also attacks everyone else who comes around here who isn't me, the meter reader, a gal that does chores when I'm out of town, etc. He is hard on his hens too, he has 14, and they all look like they may need saddles soon. He doesn't know it yet, but once I see a hen or two setting on his fertilized eggs, he's going to be chicken and noodles.
My new chicks will all be half RIR though. I plan on growing a new rooster, but I don't even want the new one to be half of that rotten bastid's chick. I figure I have room in a new coup for 8 more birds, or so, one of which is the next rooster, so I figure to hatch 14 and butcher the extra roosters late next fall. They all have about two acres inside a high fence to forage and lots of extra garden stuff all summer too. They also have a good size 3 sided shed/run that is hardware clothed on the fourth side, and is access to the two coups, and has plenty of roosts in it too. It used to be the run, but I started letting them free range, walled three sides, and converted it to a fair weather, and first few hours of morning, coup/run. Then they get the rest of the 2 acres when I get out there, till they go to bed. It doesn't snow or rain in there, and it's good shade, but it's not warm enough for winter, that's when things would get too crowded warmer coups (now coups, since one is new), that's when it's time to butcher.
What I am thinking about is letting a broody or two set, but the day some chicks hatch, running to the feed store and buying a few chicks, as small (young) as I can. Staight run so I find a new rooster that's not half RIR, and sneaking them in on the new momma after dark. Do you think this will work? Is she likely to think they are her own, or will she know there are too many? Have any of you done something like this before. If it does work well, maybe I'd even add a few extra meat birds the next times. There must be limits, Do you think a hen who hatched 7, would be ok with 10 or 12 chicks? How about different colors on day two? I grew up around chickens, and have used hatching eggs, but I only recently heard of adding chicks to a clutch. What do you guys and gals here know about this? I'm eager to find out all that I can.
I have a small flock. I have two RIRs, one of which is my only rooster, four Barred Rocks, five Golden Comets, and four Buff Orpingtons. I'm hoping that at least a couple go broody later this Spring. We still have snow in the Wyoming Rockies. They all were a year old Easter (those chicks spent their 3 weeks in my office in the house, and another 2 weeks shut in their new coup while snow melted outside.
My rooster is a bad boy. I broke him from attacking me, but he still attacks my hundred plus pound coon hound, who would kill him in an instant if I told him too, but he's a good dog and tries to stay away from that rooster. The rooster also attacks everyone else who comes around here who isn't me, the meter reader, a gal that does chores when I'm out of town, etc. He is hard on his hens too, he has 14, and they all look like they may need saddles soon. He doesn't know it yet, but once I see a hen or two setting on his fertilized eggs, he's going to be chicken and noodles.
My new chicks will all be half RIR though. I plan on growing a new rooster, but I don't even want the new one to be half of that rotten bastid's chick. I figure I have room in a new coup for 8 more birds, or so, one of which is the next rooster, so I figure to hatch 14 and butcher the extra roosters late next fall. They all have about two acres inside a high fence to forage and lots of extra garden stuff all summer too. They also have a good size 3 sided shed/run that is hardware clothed on the fourth side, and is access to the two coups, and has plenty of roosts in it too. It used to be the run, but I started letting them free range, walled three sides, and converted it to a fair weather, and first few hours of morning, coup/run. Then they get the rest of the 2 acres when I get out there, till they go to bed. It doesn't snow or rain in there, and it's good shade, but it's not warm enough for winter, that's when things would get too crowded warmer coups (now coups, since one is new), that's when it's time to butcher.
What I am thinking about is letting a broody or two set, but the day some chicks hatch, running to the feed store and buying a few chicks, as small (young) as I can. Staight run so I find a new rooster that's not half RIR, and sneaking them in on the new momma after dark. Do you think this will work? Is she likely to think they are her own, or will she know there are too many? Have any of you done something like this before. If it does work well, maybe I'd even add a few extra meat birds the next times. There must be limits, Do you think a hen who hatched 7, would be ok with 10 or 12 chicks? How about different colors on day two? I grew up around chickens, and have used hatching eggs, but I only recently heard of adding chicks to a clutch. What do you guys and gals here know about this? I'm eager to find out all that I can.
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