Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

How many days should go between first sitting and not letting the other hens donate more eggs?

Once she starts sitting the eggs start to develop right away. So after the first day you need to remove any new eggs or you will have a staggered hatch. The danger in that being the broody mama might abandon the eggs that are late hatching to get up and take care of the newly hatched chicks.
I had a tiny frizzle bantam Cochin that I got lucky with and she sat for 3 days after the first one hatched and all were fine, but that isnt always the case.

Does that answer your question?

Marie

 

[16 paws]

Yeah, aren't they peaches?

I'm all for preserving wildlife. We own 30 acres that were pretty much defiled by the previous owners. The pastures were over grazed, the timber damaged by cattle, all the desireable trees. We have spent years trying to rehabilitate the land and lure wildlife back onto the land. We have wild turkeys, sometimes 25 or more ranging in our front yard and more deer then we could ever count in the timber but today DH had to chase another hawk away with one of his RC planes. Don't mess with our chickens, dogs or cats. That is where we draw the line with the wildlife.

Maybe when you raise your stink, you could get their attention if you suggested that maybe the local news would like to pick up a human interest story about a local hobby farmer being plagued by bobcats that are carrying off chickens right in front of your eyes. And gee, nobody at wild animal control will help you. Sometimes that gets their attention.

Just called animal control again and they are going to "come out to give me some tips on keeping them out". Said I could hire a trapper to get it. They are going to do nothing.

I love your suggestion about calling the media and seeing if they are interested in the story. I bet they would change their tune if that got picked up.

We actually did that several years ago when someone turned us into the city for owning a pot bellied pig. We lived in a planned community in the city back then. The pigs name was Elvis. The big bad city came after us and said we needed to get rid of the pig because we were not zoned for livestock. Went in front of the zoning board but in the meantime we called the local news. They did the story and Elvis was on the front page of several newpapers within a day or two. It was big! It was all over the 5 o'clock news. Even our next door neighbor who was on a business trip in Hawaii heard about it on the news over there.

Needless to say we got the ordinance changed. Now in the city of Vista Ca. you are allowed to have 1 pet pot bellied pig per household. Gives me a big chuckle every time I think about the headlines. ELVIS LIVES!!!!!

Marie

 

[chickmeme]

just put 12 eggs under my broody buff orpington. I may take out the two that she sat on for the last 24 hours when I candle them next weekend. this will be my first serious brood. had this same buff go broody after Thanksgiving and hatched one right after Christmas. had to take that one in when it got beat up by the others. ( she was still sitting on eggs).

 

[snlconner]

Once she starts sitting the eggs start to develop right away. So after the first day you need to remove any new eggs or you will have a staggered hatch. The danger in that being the broody mama might abandon the eggs that are late hatching to get up and take care of the newly hatched chicks.
I had a tiny frizzle bantam Cochin that I got lucky with and she sat for 3 days after the first one hatched and all were fine, but that isnt always the case.

Does that answer your question?
Marie

Yes thank you!

 

[the poppster]

When the predators come to visit, around here, I waste no time putting out the traps. As I've said before. The hardware cloth is getting installed as soon as the snow melts enough to give me access to the complete run....but it's spring and all the predators are soon to be raising their young...and no matter what "They" want to call the part of this state ("Michigan's Wilderness") I was born and raised here....I do not run a "Wilderness" zoo. I refuse to sit back and let the varmints turn my birds into a quick stop lunch counter....They come slinking around here, looking for dinner....They will find that the tables have turned and if they value their pretty wild hides, they best stick to a "Wilderness" diet. I'm wondering if your Bobcat is a mommy Bobcat...who figures she's found a great food source for her baby bobcats...

 

[chickmeme]

have you tried installing hot shot wire around your chick yard? they use it for hoses and such and a neighbor uses it on his chicken yard. might work for you.

 

[microchick]

Chick update!

I got my nerve up this morning and went about the task of taking shells out of Aggie's nest so they wouldn't start stinking the place up and brought out 4 empties. One Welsummer and 3 Buff O shells that were perfectly zipped as nature intended. I could hear chicks peeping away and sure enough, two were tucked in under mom's wing. One looks like a pure bred Buff O fluffy butt and the other a Welsummer/Buff O cross. It's just as cute as it can be with a little dark brown cap on its head and some light brown streaks on it's back. Our Buff O boy is doing his stuff! I have been wondering which one of the roosters was doing the majority of the breeding with the hens. One of the Welsummer Roos thinks of himself as being the dominate cockerel but the girls seem to prefer Red the Buff O rooster. They follow him around like he is their god and he treats them like little queens. It's funny to watch in the morning. I give them a slice of bread to entice them out of the coop a little faster. Red will stand at my feet begging for bread so I break off bites and toss them to him. He catches them in mid air and dutifully hands them over to the hens. About the 5th bite, he will keep for himself then starts passing them to the girls again.

I didn't get a look at the other two chicks. She has them tucked somewhere but there is a Welly egg pipping. I'll get pictures as soon as I can. I want to get them moved to their own private coop ASAP. Hopefully they will be done hatching in another 24-36 hours and I can get some pictures then.

This is just so much fun!

 

[fisherlady]

Chick update!

I got my nerve up this morning and went about the task of taking shells out of Aggie's nest so they wouldn't start stinking the place up and brought out 4 empties. One Welsummer and 3 Buff O shells that were perfectly zipped as nature intended. I could hear chicks peeping away and sure enough, two were tucked in under mom's wing. One looks like a pure bred Buff O fluffy butt and the other a Welsummer/Buff O cross. It's just as cute as it can be with a little dark brown cap on its head and some light brown streaks on it's back. Our Buff O boy is doing his stuff! I have been wondering which one of the roosters was doing the majority of the breeding with the hens. One of the Welsummer Roos thinks of himself as being the dominate cockerel but the girls seem to prefer Red the Buff O rooster. They follow him around like he is their god and he treats them like little queens. It's funny to watch in the morning. I give them a slice of bread to entice them out of the coop a little faster. Red will stand at my feet begging for bread so I break off bites and toss them to him. He catches them in mid air and dutifully hands them over to the hens. About the 5th bite, he will keep for himself then starts passing them to the girls again.

I didn't get a look at the other two chicks. She has them tucked somewhere but there is a Welly egg pipping. I'll get pictures as soon as I can. I want to get them moved to their own private coop ASAP. Hopefully they will be done hatching in another 24-36 hours and I can get some pictures then.

This is just so much fun!

Congrats on the new additions !! Can't wait to see pictures.

 

[microchick]

Luckily for me my husband is a talented photographer so I told him he was appointed honorary picture taker when the time came. Hopefully that will be when we move them to the lower coop.

 

[malkered]

Well, I'm getting nervous now, Belle is on day 18 now and at last look all seven eggs were fertile. Belle is my first broody and she's doing a great job so far so I'm not sure if I should get involved at any point or whether I should leave her and the offspring to their own devices. I'm hoping that she will take good care of the chicks as it will be a lot less hassle than having to maintain a brooder although one will be on standby. I have 10 bantam eggs in the incubator too so will be going through both processes at once so it should be interesting running between the two sets of chicks.