Broody Hen Thread!

[Dani4Hedgies]

Ok lets see "Onxy" is a Black Orpington, the Wild looking one is a Partridge Rock, "Wookie" the White is an Araucana, 2 are Danz's creation Blue-Laced Gold Brahma's, "Sapphire" is a Blue Splash

 

[microchick]

Black O's are on my short 'want' list along with Lavenders. I thought about getting some Delaware eggs should one of my girls go broody again, (come on girls, somebody go broody!) but we have had such good luck with the Orpingtons that I've decided to stay with that breed. Hopefully another hen will get the urge and I can set her on 4 either Lavender or 4 Black O eggs. The breeder that I bought my flock from has hatching eggs for both breeds. It would be so easy to branch out. So many pretty birds out there but as the saying goes, if it ain't broke......

 

[16 paws]

Okay, I finally got 5 of them to hold still long enough to get a picture of them with mom.


The three on the left are Buff Os. The littlest on the far left is one of my little miracle chicks named Rocky due to it's rocky start in life. The two on the right are Buff O/Wellie mix. The other two grabbed bread and ran.

I think momma Aggie is doing a great job with them.

Beautiful chicks and Aggie looks very pleased....

 

[microchick]

That she is. LOL. It seems as though the older the chicks get the fussier she is becoming with them. I have been trying to handle a few of them every day just to get them used to me and I can tell that she is stressed out. Of course the chicks are bouncing everywhere, momma is clucking and growling and not knowing where to look and the chicks are ignoring her. She calms down a little for me but the chicks are getting so excited especially when I give them a handful of meal worms that it's like a daycare full of 3 year olds on a sugar buzz with one poor stressed teacher trying to keep control.

Maybe she will resist the urge to go broody in the near future....no wait, chickens have no long term memory...darn.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

In latest entry of proof of my chicken addiction, I bring to you my latest hatch....

Amazingly I've got at least one chick with my experiment with co-brooding! I thought these eggs were all done for as the co-broodies had left the eggs at the fringe between them a couple of times as they huddled together, sometimes shifting eggs. Overall it looked as if the eggs were being covered, so I let the hatch take natural course to see if these girls could do it. (Makes life easier if I don't have to subdivide the hutch into three parts...still have the Silkie and her grow out baby on the other side)

I think it will be a one chick hatch this time (and I'm okay with that...I've got plenty of newer pullets this year), the other chick which was zipped and almost out of the shell yesterday must have died from an un-closed naval and subsequent omphalitis (abdomen infection)...very common in dirty environments if the naval doesn't close properly before pipping...and of course the natural broody environment is not sanitized, and these two broodies tended to poo close to the nest (cleaned all that up yet again this morning along with the rain soaked bedding...had a real blustery storm with heavy rain last night that soaked everything).

The other two eggs I found stone cold this morning with no signs of obvious life yet, but am leaving under the hens just in case for another day.

But even so, there is one very healthy and vigorous, and very cute little Gold Star/Barnvelder chipmunk.

Photos below with the proud momma and aunty (it appears Mimsy hatched and Rosie supported).





Mimsy (black mottled) on right, Rosie (gold mottle/mille fleur on left)


LofMc

 

[microchick]

2 Mommas + 1 Chick = one very spoiled chick.

 

[fisherlady]

In latest entry of proof of my chicken addiction, I bring to you my latest hatch....

Amazingly I've got at least one chick with my experiment with co-brooding! I thought these eggs were all done for as the co-broodies had left the eggs at the fringe between them a couple of times as they huddled together, sometimes shifting eggs. Overall it looked as if the eggs were being covered, so I let the hatch take natural course to see if these girls could do it. (Makes life easier if I don't have to subdivide the hutch into three parts...still have the Silkie and her grow out baby on the other side)

I think it will be a one chick hatch this time (and I'm okay with that...I've got plenty of newer pullets this year), the other chick which was zipped and almost out of the shell yesterday must have died from an un-closed naval and subsequent omphalitis (abdomen infection)...very common in dirty environments if the naval doesn't close properly before pipping...and of course the natural broody environment is not sanitized, and these two broodies tended to poo close to the nest (cleaned all that up yet again this morning along with the rain soaked bedding...had a real blustery storm with heavy rain last night that soaked everything).

The other two eggs I found stone cold this morning with no signs of obvious life yet, but am leaving under the hens just in case for another day.

But even so, there is one very healthy and vigorous, and very cute little Gold Star/Barnvelder chipmunk.

Photos below with the proud momma and aunty (it appears Mimsy hatched and Rosie supported).





Mimsy (black mottled) on right, Rosie (gold mottle/mille fleur on left)


LofMc

Glad their dedication was rewarded! I'm glad we don't have to battle the constant damp and humidity you have to deal with in the PNW.

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

I found this little one in the nest box this morning, but had to put him in our brooder with the others because my other hens would have killed him if I left him there(they've done it 2x before). This one is a Bantam & Polish/BO CROSS.

 

[the poppster]

Maybe, maybe not. She will growl at you and won't move even though you try to move her. She will puff herself up and object loudly your intrusion. When you have your hand under her she may do a pumping motion with her wings around your hand. She may also have pulled feathers out of her breast to provide the eggs with a direct skin to egg contact.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Day 21: I hear chirping under mom

but I will leave her alone for a day or so - so as not to expose any partially hatched chicks to excess air.