Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

I spotted my first broody by accident.
Even though we live in SW FL, it still gets cold at night. (40 F IS cold here)

I definitely did not want chicks in the house because of hubby's severe allergies. So, outside brooding was scheduled for when temps do not fall below 65 f at night. when I saw this young 8 month old BCM pullet sitting on a clutch, I tried to take the eggs but she screeched like an eagle. Startled the blazes out of me!
OK. I had no expectations and let her sit. She hatched 9 out of 10 eggs. I kept her and the chicks isolated till the chicks were 3 weeks old and then put her and the babies in a separate coop and run. She still has 9 babies all feathered out, 7 weeks old. A few days ago I saw she was laying more eggs, not fertile since no roo there.
She still broods the chicks. She is an excellent mama! Is it possible she wants more babies? I think she needs a rest!

Any advice will be appreciated since this is a first for me.

If she is laying, she is ready to mate again. Her genetics and hormones will determine if/when she goes broody again. Some lines of BCM can be very broody prone.

At 7 weeks, with 40 degree at night, your chicks are definitely ready to be fledged.

I would begin to integrate back into the main flock for momma and chicks watching to make sure they transition smoothly. I have good luck with letting the new chicks and momma run together with the flock in the yard for a week or so but keeping them separate at night until someone shows up in the main coop, then I know they are ready to put into the coop together.

Otherwise you can integrate into general range for a few days then place them in the coop at night.

Well done to your BCM momma!
LofMc

 

[nikkers390]

If she is laying, she is ready to mate again. Her genetics and hormones will determine if/when she goes broody again. Some lines of BCM can be very broody prone.

At 7 weeks, with 40 degree at night, your chicks are definitely ready to be fledged.

I would begin to integrate back into the main flock for momma and chicks watching to make sure they transition smoothly. I have good luck with letting the new chicks and momma run together with the flock in the yard for a week or so but keeping them separate at night until someone shows up in the main coop, then I know they are ready to put into the coop together.

Otherwise you can integrate into general range for a few days then place them in the coop at night.

Well done to your BCM momma!
LofMc

Thank you for your help. These chicks were a total surprise. BTW they are all blue OE. Dad is a splash Marans/Welsummer/Ameraucana mix. These chicks should lay some pretty eggs.

 

[Blooie]

Quote: I had a grey Easter Egger chick - the famous little chick named Scout.









Does that help? I think she's absolutely gorgeous, but then I have a huge soft spot for her anyway!

 

[fisherlady]

I had a grey Easter Egger chick - the famous little chick named Scout.









Does that help? I think she's absolutely gorgeous, but then I have a huge soft spot for her anyway!

Scout is beautiful!!

And so glad Scout turned out to be a hen! I was hoping with that comb as a chick it was a pullet but she sure went through all of the little boy adventures! Must be the 'tomboy' of the chicken world...
I am glad you stopped back in and posted the pictures!

 

[Blooie]

@fisherlady She's getting to be a big girl now. She'll be 16 weeks on Wednesday. The last few days she's been scouting out nests - going in, rearranging the bedding in them, then popping out and checking another one. She's a long way from old enough to lay yet, but at least she's beginning to show some interest. Lessons I learned from raising her will help every future chick who ever arrives at Oleo Acres.

 

[Angie16hearts]

I had a grey Easter Egger chick - the famous little chick named Scout. Does that help? I think she's absolutely gorgeous, but then I have a huge soft spot for her anyway!

Yes, that's great! Yours has more grey. Mine have a bit if brown on there heads. Came from green eggs. momma was reddish brown as a baby and I believe iposted dad. Beautiful markings and beautiful bird! What color eggs does she lay?

 

[Blooie]

Yes, that's great! Yours has more grey. Mine have a bit if brown on there heads. Came from green eggs. momma was reddish brown as a baby and I believe iposted dad. Beautiful markings and beautiful bird! What color eggs does she lay?

She's not laying yet - just turned 16 weeks. She was from a blue egg - shipped eggs so I can't tell you anything about the parentage. Scout had some brown on his little head too, but it was just one spot in the shape of a star. I have a picture of the star somewhere. Scout is really special - she's been a handful since day one, her first near-death experience! I hope your little ones are less trouble than this little stinker has been!


Mom Agatha and Scout, her first outing into the big world. You can see her little brown star in this picture.

 

[fisherlady]

@fisherlady She's getting to be a big girl now. She'll be 16 weeks on Wednesday. The last few days she's been scouting out nests - going in, rearranging the bedding in them then popping out and checking another one. She's a long way from old enough to lay yet, but at least she's beginning to show some interest. Lessons I learned from raising her will help every future chick who ever arrives at Oleo Acres.

That is great! And don't be surprised if she starts early on the laying.... I've noticed the hybrids seem to egg earlier, many of my EE and BYmixes were laying by 17 or 18 weeks. It seems to be the purebred breeder stock which take the longest, hatchery purebreds are more often in the mid range.

 

[fisherlady]

Gracie ended up with 6 chicks, she left egg #7 in the nest this morning and headed out with her chicks to start teaching them how to be good little chickens... I put some pictures up on the old fashioned broody thread also but had a few more...

 

[Angie16hearts]

She's not laying yet - just turned 16 weeks. She was from a blue egg - shipped eggs so I can't tell you anything about the parentage. Scout had some brown on his little head too, but it was just one spot in the shape of a star. I have a picture of the star somewhere. Scout is really special - she's been a handful since day one, her first near-death experience! I hope your little ones are less trouble than this little stinker has been! Mom Agatha and Scout, her first outing into the big world. You can see her little brown star in this picture.

Wow, momma is beautiful ! I'm definitely keeping he/she hoping it's a pullet plus the other grey/ brown ones. The one I'm looking at the closest seems to be very observant Docile and the last to lead mom.

here is the one I'm talking about. It's hard to see the grey on some of them but it's definitely there just not as prominent as the grey/ brown one