Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

She's beautiful, Wendy High. I was wondering if she was a Welsummer from her hackle feather color. None of mine have shown an iclination to go broody as of yet and I've heard they aren't that inclined to do so. I was going to ask if she was a Wellie, what you did to get her to go broody, wave a magic wand, show her the latest issue of Baby Magazine, teach her how to knit little 4 toes booties. You know, whatever it takes.

 

[Wendy High]

She's beautiful, Wendy High. I was wondering if she was a Welsummer from her hackle feather color. None of mine have shown an iclination to go broody as of yet and I've heard they aren't that inclined to do so. I was going to ask if she was a Wellie, what you did to get her to go broody, wave a magic wand, show her the latest issue of Baby Magazine, teach her how to knit little 4 toes booties. You know, whatever it takes.

You are too funny!! I am still a newbie and learning fowl/bird terminology. Am not sure what hackle is....sorry. I have 3 adult hens, my first one went broody and within the week of her getting off nest, the other 2 decided they wanted babies too. Chicken math is taking over in a good way for me this last month. For sure, I can not keep up with all the improvements and things to do in the chicken world. Lol. I do try to keep them happy & healthy, they are free range and I do feed them a protien laying crumble. Hope you get some broodies.

 

[Jessimom]

Good morning all! I have 2 silkies that went broody I thought 2 and 2/12 weeks ago (meaning still a few days from hatching). Well, 2 good sized chicks escaped the broody area sometime last night/this morning. Nobody went in to check under the hens. Since neither broody hen went after the babies, can I assume that there are more hatching or have already hatched? How soon after they dry off do they start to run around the coop? At what point does a broody hen decide everything that is going to hatch, has hatched and abandon the eggs to go after the babies?

Thanks!!

 

[cscarney]

Hi Wendy--

The Ideal chicks are perfectly healthy and growing like weeds--but I'm trying to breed to the Brabanter standard, and I can already see I have chicks that don't have the correct beard and muff so I won't be able to use them for breeding stock. That said, they'll make someone who's not breeding toward standard or show quality some beautiful egg layers!

And, as hatchery birds go, Ideal has some of the best ones out there IMO. These chicks arrived healthy with no losses, they've grown well for me, and most are showing at least a good resemblance to the breed they represent. That's more than I can say from many hatcheries I've gotten birds from over the years!

It's too early to tell if they will have the correct forward facing mohawk crest or what the spangling will look like that's supposed to tip each feather, but shank colors look right so far, as do beak structure and nostril shape. Too early to see if they have the correct V shaped comb....I'll also have to wait until they're close to maturity to see if they are the correct size--though I do have a couple of chicks that are noticeably smaller than the others, and were that way right out of the box.

Even with my Langshans which come from a showable line I anticipate keeping maybe two trios out of my whole hatch. Again, the rest will make some beautiful birds for people who want a larger gentle bird that lays well and produces a good roasting bird.

What did you get from Ideal??

Catherine

 

[16 paws]

Good morning all! I have 2 silkies that went broody I thought 2 and 2/12 weeks ago (meaning still a few days from hatching). Well, 2 good sized chicks escaped the broody area sometime last night/this morning. Nobody went in to check under the hens. Since neither broody hen went after the babies, can I assume that there are more hatching or have already hatched? How soon after they dry off do they start to run around the coop? At what point does a broody hen decide everything that is going to hatch, has hatched and abandon the eggs to go after the babies?

Thanks!!

I am confused, do the babies have heat or a mama to keep them warm? They will need that to survive.

 

[cscarney]

You are too funny!!

I am still a newbie and learning fowl/bird terminology. Am not sure what hackle is....sorry. I have 3 adult hens, my first one went broody and within the week of her getting off nest, the other 2 decided they wanted babies too. Chicken math is taking over in a good way for me this last month. For sure, I can not keep up with all the improvements and things to do in the chicken world. Lol. I do try to keep them happy & healthy, they are free range and I do feed them a protien laying crumble. Hope you get some broodies.

Oh, I remember trying to learn all the vocabulary when my kids got into showing poultry.....They had to know all sorts of stuff about birds if they wanted to have a fighting chance at placing in poultry showmanship, so I sort of picked it up by contamination.

So, just some quick terms to help a bit before your broodies and the vocabulary and chicken math make you pull your hair out (lol)....

Hackles are the feathers on the neck. Saddles are the feathers on the back of the roosters (think of a saddle on a horse and that will help you remember). Sickles are the usually long and arching feathers over the tail of the rooster (absent, though, in hen feathered breeds like the Sebright)....

Ducks have a whole set of vocabulary words all their own, BTW, just to keep things confusing....

Good luck with your broodies! IME, it's catching--once one starts the others seem to follow....

Catherine

 

[Jessimom]

I am confused, do the babies have heat or a mama to keep them warm? They will need that to survive.

There are 2 broody mama's in there. They kept swapping eggs, so they are co-parenting. We grabbed the 2 babies that were running around outside the broody area, and put them indoors (in my brooder), with my incubator chicks. I was expecting them to stay closer to mama, unless they hatched days ago, which I find unlikely. We only go into their broody area once a day to change water and food. We never checked underneath after the first time we checked (counting eggs). They went broody a week apart. So, I know there will be eggs I have to grab if they both abandon them.

 

[16 paws]

There are 2 broody mama's in there. They kept swapping eggs, so they are co-parenting. We grabbed the 2 babies that were running around outside the broody area, and put them indoors (in my brooder), with my incubator chicks. I was expecting them to stay closer to mama, unless they hatched days ago, which I find unlikely. We only go into their broody area once a day to change water and food. We never checked underneath after the first time we checked (counting eggs). They went broody a week apart. So, I know there will be eggs I have to grab if they both abandon them.

Ok, I get it. I thought they were running around the coop by themselves. So you have them in the brooder now. I am surprised they didn't stay by mama. I know there are a lot of people that leave broodys together and dont have any problem. Its cute to see them co-parenting.

I had a bad experience the first time so I always separate them. My two bantam Cochin broodys got along great until hatch time and then one of the mamas started pecking one of the chicks. She pecked hard enough to draw blood on the skull. I was keeping an eye on everyone so I was able to get the chick out of there and into a brooder for a night. I then applied blu-kote and returned the chick back to mama the next day. I also separated the two broodys. That is just me and my experience.
Good luck on the rest and let us know how it goes.
Marie

 

[Wendy High]

Oh, I remember trying to learn all the vocabulary when my kids got into showing poultry.....They had to know all sorts of stuff about birds if they wanted to have a fighting chance at placing in poultry showmanship, so I sort of picked it up by contamination.

So, just some quick terms to help a bit before your broodies and the vocabulary and chicken math make you pull your hair out (lol)....

Hackles are the feathers on the neck. Saddles are the feathers on the back of the roosters (think of a saddle on a horse and that will help you remember). Sickles are the usually long and arching feathers over the tail of the rooster (absent, though, in hen feathered breeds like the Sebright)....

Ducks have a whole set of vocabulary words all their own, BTW, just to keep things confusing....

Good luck with your broodies! IME, it's catching--once one starts the others seem to follow....

Catherine

Thank you.

 

[Wendy High]

What did you get from Ideal??

Catherine
[/quote]

Thank you for response. Good to know for people like me. I did get a catalog from McMurray. Been reading it. Haven't searched anything on them yet.