BYC Café

[DobieLover]

No, I've had a broody hatch and it's different for sure. I rather prefer them but I need some pullets not related to this roo for breeding the next crew. Ain't he handsome?
View attachment 1880455

Yes! He is! I love his colors.

 

[DobieLover]

Can't help it. Sarcasm ahead...

I just saw this picture on a new post and think it should be the feature image in an article on how to prevent salmonellosis when you raise backyard chickens.

The caption could read "Hey, doc. I've had a terrible case of the Hershey squirts for 5 days. Could it be all the coffee I've been drinking?"

 

[N F C]

 

[sourland]

I don't perform well under stress.

I empathize.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Okay quick question or maybe two I guess.

My broody is still very devoted and I still haven’t gotten her eggs yet so I think it might be too late now since she’s already been setting so long? So think I may need to get her some chicks eventually too. Or finally break her. We’ll see.

The other day I was actually a bit concerned as she got off the nest for what seemed to me like a while but then she got back on. I had let them free range while I was working out there and at first it was great, she didn’t care at all and didn’t leave the nest, and even the day before when I gave them a great treat in the run, she never left, so she has been very devoted, but then my dad opened up the nest box lid, and I thought she would do her usual eat drink poop and scratch then run back, or maybe stretch her wings a bit and eat some grass or bugs a bit since the door was open, which would have been fine, but she seemed to be out a long time, venture pretty far from the coop, and not seem in any real hurry to get back to the eggs!! But when she did go back, she went right back on them so idk. Usually she is in a hurry to get back but they never free range much normally so she seemed to be enjoying herself and forgetting about her eggs! I dont know how long she was out for but it seemed to be like at least an hour? But it might have been less or more than that, wasn’t really keeping track. But didn’t really seem to be too concerned! Is that normal? Or is she just a bad mom? Cause up until that point and even after she has been VERY faithfully setting!!

 

[sourland]

Normal broody behavior in these temperatures.

 

[Shadrach]

Okay quick question or maybe two I guess.

My broody is still very devoted and I still haven’t gotten her eggs yet so I think it might be too late now since she’s already been setting so long? So think I may need to get her some chicks eventually too. Or finally break her. We’ll see.

The other day I was actually a bit concerned as she got off the nest for what seemed to me like a while but then she got back on. I had let them free range while I was working out there and at first it was great, she didn’t care at all and didn’t leave the nest, and even the day before when I gave them a great treat in the run, she never left, so she has been very devoted, but then my dad opened up the nest box lid, and I thought she would do her usual eat drink poop and scratch then run back, or maybe stretch her wings a bit and eat some grass or bugs a bit since the door was open, which would have been fine, but she seemed to be out a long time, venture pretty far from the coop, and not seem in any real hurry to get back to the eggs!! But when she did go back, she went right back on them so idk. Usually she is in a hurry to get back but they never free range much normally so she seemed to be enjoying herself and forgetting about her eggs! I dont know how long she was out for but it seemed to be like at least an hour? But it might have been less or more than that, wasn’t really keeping track. But didn’t really seem to be too concerned! Is that normal? Or is she just a bad mom? Cause up until that point and even after she has been VERY faithfully setting!!

An hour off the eggs is fine. I've had broodies here off their eggs for at least three hours in the past. They know what they're doing and even if they don't there is nothing you can do about it that's going to work out well.
I don't know how long she has been broody but 4 weeks is the limit here. Anything over that and I put a stop to it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Normal broody behavior in these temperatures.

An hour off the eggs is fine. I've had broodies here off their eggs for at least three hours in the past. They know what they're doing and even if they don't there is nothing you can do about it that's going to work out well.
I don't know how long she has been broody but 4 weeks is the limit here. Anything over that and I put a stop to it.

Okay thank you both! Very helpful. I guess I was just a bit afraid she had gotten a taste of “freedom” and abandoned them! Haha but she did go back to the nest so I guess that’s the key?

I think she has been broody about 2 weeks or maybe a week and a half? I got home last Monday and she was on the nest and I think I gave her the fake eggs to set on maybe Wednesday. So either way it’s been well over a week. Just didn’t know if I could give her eggs so late in the cycle? Like if she would sit past 21 days? Chicks may be better tat this point? Maybe wait until they would normally hatch? So next week?

 

[Shadrach]

Okay thank you both! Very helpful. I guess I was just a bit afraid she had gotten a taste of “freedom” and abandoned them! Haha but she did go back to the nest so I guess that’s the key?

I think she has been broody about 2 weeks or maybe a week and a half? I got home last Monday and she was on the nest and I think I gave her the fake eggs to set on maybe Wednesday. So either way it’s been well over a week. Just didn’t know if I could give her eggs so late in the cycle? Like if she would sit past 21 days? Chicks may be better tat this point? Maybe wait until they would normally hatch? So next week?

Mr sourland will know more about slipping chicks under a broody hen. I've never done it.
I don't even slip other eggs under them.
It's all pretty basic here. I don't confine them in any way so they can come and go as they please. If they decide they don't want to sit after all I just bin the eggs.
If they abandon their chicks then I'm afraid I kill the chicks.
Generally I let them sit and hatch where they want except now I don't let many sit out in the open. Next year this may be different as I've got an idea for some portable predator proof enclosures I can put up easily at night.

 

[room onthebroom]

You should dye your hair red like I do. It's a nice warning label. If people choose to ignore it, that's not YOUR fault.