Broody question?

[PepsNick]

So my hens are about to start laying, and almost all my breeds are known for going broody. So I am expecting a couple this Spring. I was wondering--- won't they need to eat chick feed? And won't the momma need to eat layer feed? How do I feed it seperatley? What if the chicks eat the layer (crumbles) and the momma eats the starter? This is SO confusing lol

Thankz! Nicholas

 

[DAFox]

The broody hen does not need the calcium in layer feed because she is not laying. She can eat chick starter.
Dale-Ann

 

[Fluff-n-Feathers]

Quote:
x2
Thats what works for my hens.

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Thanks. But the thing is, I do not have a rooster, so these will not be HER chicks, I am buying fertilized eggs for her off mypetchicken.com. so she will still be laying. what do i do?

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
Thanks. But the thing is, I do not have a rooster, so these will not be HER chicks, I am buying fertilized eggs for her off mypetchicken.com. so she will still be laying. what do i do?

When a chicken goes broody they stop laying eggs... with a roo.. without a roo... and dont start up laying till a while after they have stopped being broody.

 

[DAFox]

gagalerslove, a hen does not lay eggs when she is broody. Nature does not care what the hen is sitting on -- golf balls, duck eggs, or chicken eggs from the supermarket. 99.9% of the time, she will not lay an egg until she stops being broody. In my experience, that could be anytime after the chicks are 2 weeks old.
Just because you have chickens from breeds known to go broody doesn't mean that they will. Or you may have broodies this winter.
Time to read up on broody behavior and needs.
Dale-Ann

 

[elmo]

My three hens each hatched out clutches of chicks this spring. The whole flock, hens and young 'uns alike, have been on feed formulated for growing chicks all summer. The hens have started laying again of course, so I offer oystershell on the side so they can get the additional calcium they need. When the young ones get ready to lay this fall, I'll just switch the whole flock over to layer feed again.

 

[PepsNick]

OOOH. Ok! Thanks y'all! My bad lol

 

[PepsNick]

OOOH. Ok! Thanks y'all! My bad lol