Broody Hen vs artificial incubation

[Boo71]

I had one hen go broody, I gave her some eggs to see what happens. She hatched out 2 of the 3 eggs I gave her less than a week ago. Another hen went broody a week after the first. I gave her 3 eggs to sit on....2 are pipping out as I type this. A third hen went broody a week after the second...I gave her golf balls...lol. I actually just took 1 hatching egg and switched out the golf balls to get her a reason to stop brooding.I have the first batch in a separate box for now. In a few days I will put them in my spare coop to be outside.
The first chicks I had 3 years ago were store bought and I raised them in a brooding box. I much prefer the the mother doing the work and really enjoy watching the interaction. I say there is no better way then letting the hen do what comes natural.

 

[Pony Trotsky]

Oh, gosh. I'm so glad I found this thread. (You can always count on BYC.)

I have an Orpington hen that's been broody since . . . June, I guess, and I'm thinking seriously of putting some eggs under her. (There are such cool things in the HATCHING EGGS FOR SALE section that I've had to forcibly restrain myself from ordering like crazy. What a den of iniquity and temptation that place is!)

So. Where might I find collected info on how to do all this - a book, a website, a BYC forum? I've done a number of searches, but I can't seem to find basic how-to info in one place.

Thank you!

Quote: Up until now I've always bought started pullets, rather than chicks, but I agree that hen-raised birds are brighter, healthier and better foragers, so I now make it a point to buy only those. I don't mind paying more at all. I think they're worth every penny if you're seriously free ranging.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote:
Quote: I haven't even checked it out but it might be what you're after. Best wishes.

Quote: Especially when you're doing it for your own health. People bent on scrimping on input for commercial reasons aren't putting enough into the birds to facilitate full health and when we eat their eggs and flesh we are likewise shortchanged. It is a false economy to feed an animal the cheapest food because this directly leads to disease in the animal and in any humans who consume such animals or their products. Once disease has set in, it is cripplingly expensive to treat. Far better to spend that little extra on making animals as healthy as possible in order to save on both vet and doctor bills later on.

Health costs more in the short term, but in the long run sickness is far more expensive in every way. Who knowingly chooses disease over health for financial reasons? Unfortunately many animals and humans live in a constant state of disease and it is graded as a form of health, because it's so common, and there are so many varying degrees of vitality.

There's no money in health, they used to say; well now there is, as more and more sick people are realizing they must be eating naturally grown healthy foods in order to rebuild healthy bodies; there will be a huge market boom in all things organic soon because of the increasing epidemic of chemically sensitive and antibiotic-sensitized people who have no choice for their life's sakes than to eat organic and naturally grown foods. It's a desperate and captive market and as more producers get on board with supplying their needs, the price will drop. Despite what we were told, chemical farming is not the only cost effective way to farm, as so many organic farmers are increasingly proving. Already it's cheaper to buy organic potatoes among some other fruit and veg around here. I farm naturally for my family's sake and don't have a choice to do it non-naturally, and I'm not alone there.

 

[Pony Trotsky]

No, you're not alone. And I couldn't agree more.

I bet you'll be able to sell you hen-raised birds, and I bet people will be converted the minute they see the difference.

 

[chooks4life]

I have often had a lot of interest in my birds from even purebred breeders who all comment on the sheer health of them, but when I detail how I achieved that health, it sounds like too much work to many, even though it's not much more than they already do, and it sure saves on a huge amount of special care that's required due to bad health because of sub-par diet in the first place... Most people in my experience don't want to put in the time to make their birds as healthy as they could be. For some it is a genuine time constraint, but for many just plain old disinclination.

One day in future I hope to make my basic feed mix into a ready-bagged format and sell it. I bet some would buy it if I put a print of my chooks on the cover. No pink crests here! lol. Kelp's actually the number one thing I feed that makes all the adult's crests red, it's possibly the most important thing in the whole diet. Really it's just grains, seeds etc with herbs, kelp, and raw garlic. Any non-plant proteins I would sell separately to prevent spoilage. All just a vague pipe dream at the moment though.

 

[LukensFarms]

I

Have you considered finding maybe a health food shop or similar who would like to take some orders? Lots of people do it that way around here. It might take a bit of getting accredited though but in some places it's very easy and simple.

I agree with the mongorels. I like pretty and efficient. We have health food stores around but everyone I have called show no interest. Funny thing. Had a friend give me some pheasant eggs from a hen of his that died. I hatched 3. As far as the chicks that the hens hatched. They are doing great and are already foraging.

 

[LukensFarms]

T

...

No, you're not alone. And I couldn't agree more.



I bet you'll be able to sell you hen-raised birds, and I bet people will be converted the minute they see the difference.
[/quoteThanks for the support.

 

[LukensFarms]

T

I have often had a lot of interest in my birds from even purebred breeders who all comment on the sheer health of them, but when I detail how I achieved that health, it sounds like too much work to many, even though it's not much more than they already do, and it sure saves on a huge amount of special care that's required due to bad health because of sub-par diet in the first place... Most people in my experience don't want to put in the time to make their birds as healthy as they could be. For some it is a genuine time constraint, but for many just plain old disinclination.

One day in future I hope to make my basic feed mix into a ready-bagged format and sell it. I bet some would buy it if I put a print of my chooks on the cover. No pink crests here! lol. Kelp's actually the number one thing I feed that makes all the adult's crests red, it's possibly the most important thing in the whole diet. Really it's just grains, seeds etc with herbs, kelp, and raw garlic. Any non-plant proteins I would sell separately to prevent spoilage. All just a vague pipe dream at the moment though.

hat dream isn't too far off. I developed a formula with a nutritionist for our calves and the grain elevator mixes it for me three tons at a time. Work on establishing your market. It's easy to get a custom made feed.

 

[LukensFarms]

Oh, gosh. I'm so glad I found this thread. (You can always count on BYC.) I'm sorry I missed this post. I've been hatching for over twenty years. Ask away and I'll do my best to answer your questions.



I have an Orpington hen that's been broody since . . . June, I guess, and I'm thinking seriously of putting some eggs under her. (There are such cool things in the HATCHING EGGS FOR SALE section that I've had to forcibly restrain myself from ordering like crazy. What a den of iniquity and temptation that place is!)

So. Where might I find collected info on how to do all this - a book, a website, a BYC forum? I've done a number of searches, but I can't seem to find basic how-to info in one place.

Thank you!

Up until now I've always bought started pullets, rather than chicks, but I agree that hen-raised birds are brighter, healthier and better foragers, so I now make it a point to buy only those. I don't mind paying more at all. I think they're worth every penny if you're seriously free ranging.

 

[LukensFarms]

I absolutely agree. I also think that allowing hens raise their young prolongs their egg laying abilities. Not to mention they are more content.

I had one hen go broody, I gave her some eggs to see what happens. She hatched out 2 of the 3 eggs I gave her less than a week ago. Another hen went broody a week after the first. I gave her 3 eggs to sit on....2 are pipping out as I type this. A third hen went broody a week after the second...I gave her golf balls...lol. I actually just took 1 hatching egg and switched out the golf balls to get her a reason to stop brooding.I have the first batch in a separate box for now. In a few days I will put them in my spare coop to be outside.
The first chicks I had 3 years ago were store bought and I raised them in a brooding box. I much prefer the the mother doing the work and really enjoy watching the interaction. I say there is no better way then letting the hen do what comes natural.