Broody Hen Thread!

[PD-Riverman]

I avoid the sales now lol. I still have 18 chicks inside that I need to get moved OUTSIDE...ugh. Hopefully some of these new ones will grow up and decide to hatch a batch or three so I don't feel a need to do it myself.

If you got the right breeds----You will for sure have some broodies----some breeds are not the Broody type----You probably know this!! I set 72 broody hens in 2015 another 80+ in 2013 and 2014. Some of my hens would go broody and hatch several times in a year----one set 4 times---started 1st time in January----LOL.

 

[pepe1]

Surprise !! One of my Golden Comets went broody two days ago, moved her to a rabbit hutch last night and she is happily sitting on 12 Lavender Orpington eggs this morning, hope she stays the course.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Surprise !! One of my Golden Comets went broody two days ago, moved her to a rabbit hutch last night and she is happily sitting on 12 Lavender Orpington eggs this morning, hope she stays the course.

I have heard of them doing that----I have had one RIR that went broody----for a few days---LOL----Guess she figured Hey This Is Not Me---LOL. I think my reason for not having more RIR's go broody is because I collect the eggs faithfully every day and I usually sell them around 2 years old. How old is your GC??

 

[WVduckchick]

Surprise !! One of my Golden Comets went broody two days ago, moved her to a rabbit hutch last night and she is happily sitting on 12 Lavender Orpington eggs this morning, hope she stays the course.

Last summer I had one golden comet and one lavender orpington hatch chicks the same week. I wish one of my golden comets would do it again, I lost a few to predators last year and I'm down to 2 of them.

 

[jnckids]

I usually sell them around 2 years old. How old is your GC??

Just curious how you go about selling off your older birds? I only have 2 "retired" layers at the moment and they were our first 2 chickens but we will obviously face this more and more in the next year. Thanks. -Josh

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just curious how you go about selling off your older birds? I only have 2 "retired" layers at the moment and they were our first 2 chickens but we will obviously face this more and more in the next year. Thanks. -Josh

I attend a chicken Auction weekly right now but at times I just go when I have something to sell. Up to 3 weeks ago 2/3yr old layers were bringing $15 to $22 each. Last week they were more in the $10 to $15 range. So every year I raise some new chicks to layers for myself(I sell hundreds, even 1000's some years) to make it easy to understand---say I got 3 pens(I got 67) pen one has the almost 2 year old hens, pen 2 has the 1yr old hens, pen 3 has the chicks I got growing for layers----when pen 3 pullets start laying good----To the Auction or craigslist for the 2 to 3yr old and this is repeated every year. I Never have a time I do not get eggs----there might be times that pen 1 and 2 are laying good, but if 1 pen stops all together for a few weeks---the other pen is usually laying some eggs. No, I do not free-range them together---1 pen might be turned out to free-range, the other 2 pens are turned out into a larger area but a confined area,

 

[jnckids]

Thanks. Do they tend to sell well on Craigslist?

 

[ChickenChic2016]

I am new to chickens..I got 3 buff Orpington hens from our local 4h auction last fall..our biggest gen has gone broody..she sat on the best almost all day..I reached under her and got the eggs out. At some point she let the other two in to lay. She was still sitting on the empty nest this morning so I removed her and put her in the run. What should I do to break her from her "broodiness"?

 

[mich9510]

She quit. Maybe next time.

Now she's back at it...lol. I'm just leaving her alone for now.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks. Do they tend to sell well on Craigslist?

They do here, By adding my Location--not address---I do have repeat buyers that want my 2 year old layers---they bought them before and they know if I say they are laying----they are laying. I never try to sell them if they are molting----no eggs. If I got 20 hens I always tell the truth--for example----I post I got 12 eggs yesterday, 14 the day before, etc. That makes mine sell easier. Some will buy all I got at that time----Some even come 2+ hours away. I do sell just starting to lay pullets too. Even 1 year old hens if I am wanting to cut some breeder numbers down.