Broody Hen Thread!

[GermanGirl82]

Well, I was unable to break my hen's second broody this season, so she is on six more eggs! I did manage to find a placement for the two roos that she hatched out nine weeks ago, I just have to decide what to do with the five pullets. I picked up the eggs at a farm swap this weekend, so they are local, but they were fertile eating eggs, so we'll see what hatches out. I know there are two green eggs, probable EE's, one brown marans egg, and three white eggs. One of the white eggs is a hamburg, but the other two are ??, the lady wasn't sure who had laid them. They are a free range flock, she keeps her hatching egg flocks penned and separated, so they may just be barnyard mixes. I'm not picky, I think it will be fun to try and figure out at hatch time! She is doing great so far (only three days in), I just want to watch her for the heat. It is so hot and humid here, so we'll see how that affects the hatch.Hoping for good results for her, she is such a good little momma hen.

Can't wait to see pic's
Where did you bring your roo's???

 

[jajeanpierre]

Well, I was unable to break my hen's second broody this season, so she is on six more eggs! I did manage to find a placement for the two roos that she hatched out nine weeks ago, I just have to decide what to do with the five pullets. I picked up the eggs at a farm swap this weekend, so they are local, but they were fertile eating eggs, so we'll see what hatches out. I know there are two green eggs, probable EE's, one brown marans egg, and three white eggs. One of the white eggs is a hamburg, but the other two are ??, the lady wasn't sure who had laid them. They are a free range flock, she keeps her hatching egg flocks penned and separated, so they may just be barnyard mixes. I'm not picky, I think it will be fun to try and figure out at hatch time! She is doing great so far (only three days in), I just want to watch her for the heat. It is so hot and humid here, so we'll see how that affects the hatch.Hoping for good results for her, she is such a good little momma hen.

I have almost no experience with broody hens hatching eggs since my only two forays into this adventure are just under three weeks old, but I did think that the hens stayed off the nest longer in the heat. I'm in South Central Texas. I think the eggs just might have hatched without any additional heat except at night.

 

[abserbean]

I had to take them to the feed store, Standard Feed downtown. I tried the swap at Bent Creek, but there were so many roos there you couldn't give them away. I tried a couple of local hobby farmers too, in case they had room, but everyone was full. My kids were so sad to leave them in the cage, but the man said they usually go pretty quickly, less than a week, and since they were healthy and good looking birds he didn't think they would have a problem rehoming them. I really wanted to find them homes ourselves, but one started crowing already, and we couldn't risk a citation. One day we will have a few acres and won't have this problem!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Can't wait to see pic's
Where did you bring your roo's???

I think back yard chicken keepers should understand that when they re-home their "pet" cockerel that they cannot keep, it is likely going into someone else's pot. There is almost no market for culled cockerels, especially cockerels that are just pet quality regardless of their outstanding temperament or other redeeming qualities.

People have argued that if they sell a bird for $10 or $15 that they are sure it goes to a "home." A Silkie sells for about $40 in the specialty grocery stores. Many are very happy to pay $10-15 for an older bird because, lets face it, the mush in the grocery stores has no flavor. One Silkie carcass makes a curry for four plus soup the next day. Slaughtering your own makes you appreciate the cost of meat so I find I am much less wasteful--I use everything except the feet and the gizzard of the birds I slaughter, plus I eat less meat knowing the true cost (to the animal).

My own philosophy is that if I raised it I will ensure it has a good death, and that I benefit from the high-quality feed and care I put into it. I want my cockerels to have a good life free ranging with the flock until they have one bad day. Hopefully that bad day is only a few bad seconds.

I'm not prepared to risk them having a bad ending, nor am I prepared to just give away high quality meat that my family needs. Slaughter is not nice, but it can be downright cruel if not done well. If we truly love chickens, we will raise our own for slaughter to spare the factory chickens their horrible, horrible life and death. I'm not quite there yet--taking a life is pretty traumatic for this city girl--but I do and will cull my cockerels.

 

[sonderah]

A month will seem like forever, but it will pass quicker than you think, family needs are just something that you have to do...  it is so great that you have such a good guy willing to keep things well taken care of so you can go do what you need to do! 

 I hope all goes well with your mom and make sure the boyfriend can send you lots of pictures to help you get your daily cuteness fix!

Thanks!! PICS! Great idea! Lol

 

[GermanGirl82]

I had to take them to the feed store, Standard Feed downtown. I tried the swap at Bent Creek, but there were so many roos there you couldn't give them away. I tried a couple of local hobby farmers too, in case they had room, but everyone was full. My kids were so sad to leave them in the cage, but the man said they usually go pretty quickly, less than a week, and since they were healthy and good looking birds he didn't think they would have a problem rehoming them. I really wanted to find them homes ourselves, but one started crowing already, and we couldn't risk a citation. One day we will have a few acres and won't have this problem!

I'm sorry your kids were so sad but I'm glad to know that they take Roosters.
Oh I didn't knew we had swaps in Jacksonville.
I hope your Roosters found lovely homes!!! And yes of course you couldn't risk the citation.
That's why I love living out here in Nassau County, so far I have seen 3 of our 5 Roosters crowing...

 

[ChickyChickens]

Ok so my broodies have finally gotten their chicks! Here they are with their little families:

This is Venture in her inside box!


She had 7 chicks! 2 of them are black/brown and the rest are black!


This is Fluffy in her inside box!


She had 8 beautiful chicks and I really love them!


This is Snowflake in her inside box!


She had 11 chicks I think that 7 of them are sadly roosters!

 

[Aunt ruth]

I'm a little worried about my broody. She was broody for two weeks before we finally got some hatching eggs for her. She has been sitting on those a week. I know being broody is physically taxing on the hen. Is there anything I can do to help maintain her health for these next two weeks?

 

[HeyBigRhondaq]

I'm a little worried about my broody. She was broody for two weeks before we finally got some hatching eggs for her. She has been sitting on those a week. I know being broody is physically taxing on the hen. Is there anything I can do to help maintain her health for these next two weeks?

My broody is one of my sweetest birds. I can put food within reach of her without her pecking at me. I'd place food and water as close to her as you can.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm a little worried about my broody. She was broody for two weeks before we finally got some hatching eggs for her. She has been sitting on those a week. I know being broody is physically taxing on the hen. Is there anything I can do to help maintain her health for these next two weeks?

I fed and watered my broody at least once a day in the nest box. I had been trying to break her of being broody for about two MONTHS before I gave up and put eggs under her. She was a little thin when she started sitting on the eggs (after being broody for two months) but I think gained weight will sitting on the eggs. I also put water right beside the nest box. My other broody, a Silkie, refused any food or water I offered by hand. She also had been broody for some time before I gave her eggs. She was fine.