First attempt at letting a broody hen hatch chicks

[Gorman Farm]

Your dark babies do look like a black x buff cross. You won't be able to sex them until they are older. That color combo makes very pretty birds, usually gold/buff on the front half changing to black on the back. Although, like any mix, part of the fun is getting to see how they turn out

Yes that part is fun...I have had some weird things happen like an easter egger x ameraucana that lays beige eggs, go figure.
What I hope for the most is the SWEET orpington personalitiy. Recently both my EE's stopped laying altogether so a couple new hens would be nice.
BTW: Why does the rooster still breed hens that are no longer laying?

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The mating act is not just about sex and keeping eggs fertile. As long as he is breeding them, he is showing he is the dominant chicken. As long as they let him, they are showing him that they accept his dominance. It helps keep the flock peaceful because it is maintaining the flock dynamics.

When a hen is not laying breeding normally declines, sometimes a lot, but it usually doesn’t totally stop.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I know this is completely random and not related to chickens at all so you might not know but you said chicken mating isn't just about sex so it made me think of this.

Our dog sometimes lets his.... thing out and he did it recently when greeting my brother and he thought it was gross but from what I have read that is not necessarily sexual? Dogs also do it when they get over stimulated/over excited, right? And to cool off in the heat, right? Cause he does it then too. I am trying to figure out all the possible reasons they do it so I can explain it correctly.

 

[Gorman Farm]

The mating act is not just about sex and keeping eggs fertile. As long as he is breeding them, he is showing he is the dominant chicken. As long as they let him, they are showing him that they accept his dominance. It helps keep the flock peaceful because it is maintaining the flock dynamics.

When a hen is not laying breeding normally declines, sometimes a lot, but it usually doesn’t totally stop.

Thanks for that, I was told by the man at our feed store that roosters only cover fertile hens, so I was confused.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hens laying eggs normally have bright red combs and wattles compared to hens not laying who normally have more pink or orange combs and wattles. The red is a sign to the rooster they need to be fertile, bright red is a turn-on to him. So “fertile” hens will get mated more.

But I’ve seen a dominant hen mate a pullet, touching vents and everything, in a flock that had no dominant rooster. She was letting the pullet and the rest of the flock know she was the boss. It’s not always about fertilizing the eggs, sometimes it’s just about dominance.

 

[Gorman Farm]

Ok I have a question. When I raise chicks we keep them very warm in the brooder, I have noticed since mama hen is raising these that they are not under her much staying warm except at night. I had them out in a small run I made for them and it was only 72 degrees out and they were dust bathing with mom and spreading their little wings out running around and looked very comfortable in the weather. Why is it they can take the cooler weather?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why can they take the cooler weather? Because nature made them that way. That’s the short answer. Not very informative but accurate.

There are several threads on here where broody hens raise their chicks even in weather sometimes below freezing. The chicks leave Mama and her warmth to eat and drink, dust bathe, or just play. When they get cold the go to Mama and warm up. How long they stay out away from Mama’s heat depends on the temperature and how old they are. Newly hatched chicks tend to spend their first two or three days under Mama a lot but after that they get really active. Mama can also raise them when the ambient temperature is above 100 but that’s not your question. That hot weather is more dangerous than the cold weather in some ways.

A lot of us brood outside. I candled last night and will put 26 eggs in lockdown tomorrow night. The weather forecast predicts nighttime lows below freezing with daytime highs in the 40’s when I’ll probably be putting them in the brooder in my coop. I’ll keep one end of my brooder plenty warm, even when the ambient temperature is below freezing. Some mornings I’ll probably find frost or ice in the cold end. Later the forecast calls for days in the 60’s. My warm end will probably be too hot then. It doesn’t matter, at some distance away the chicks will always be able to find a spot just the right temperature for them to warm up if they are cold and cool off if they are hot. When they get older they will spend a lot of time in the cold end or the hot end. Some people would be surprised at how much time that is, but as long as they have some place to go that has the right temperature for them they do fine.

To me the ideal brooder is one that has one area warm enough and another area cool enough. That keeps you from cooking the chicks or freezing them. As long as they have the option they do great at self-regulating their temperature needs.

 

[lazy gardener]

Because God designed them that way. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that baby chicks are fragile little things that will die if not kept very warm. Your broody is raising them the way they were meant to be raised. It's only warm under her! They will duck under her when needed. Otherwise, they are busy running around, enjoying their world, and learning how to be chickens. They are much more advanced than brooder raised chicks, in both feather development, social development, and motor coordination skills.

 

[Gorman Farm]

Why can they take the cooler weather? Because nature made them that way. That’s the short answer. Not very informative but accurate.

There are several threads on here where broody hens raise their chicks even in weather sometimes below freezing. The chicks leave Mama and her warmth to eat and drink, dust bathe, or just play. When they get cold the go to Mama and warm up. How long they stay out away from Mama’s heat depends on the temperature and how old they are. Newly hatched chicks tend to spend their first two or three days under Mama a lot but after that they get really active. Mama can also raise them when the ambient temperature is above 100 but that’s not your question. That hot weather is more dangerous than the cold weather in some ways.

A lot of us brood outside. I candled last night and will put 26 eggs in lockdown tomorrow night. The weather forecast predicts nighttime lows below freezing with daytime highs in the 40’s when I’ll probably be putting them in the brooder in my coop. I’ll keep one end of my brooder plenty warm, even when the ambient temperature is below freezing. Some mornings I’ll probably find frost or ice in the cold end. Later the forecast calls for days in the 60’s. My warm end will probably be too hot then. It doesn’t matter, at some distance away the chicks will always be able to find a spot just the right temperature for them to warm up if they are cold and cool off if they are hot. When they get older they will spend a lot of time in the cold end or the hot end. Some people would be surprised at how much time that is, but as long as they have some place to go that has the right temperature for them they do fine.

To me the ideal brooder is one that has one area warm enough and another area cool enough. That keeps you from cooking the chicks or freezing them. As long as they have the option they do great at self-regulating their temperature needs.

Ok thanks I get that, I was just wondering if the instructions I got to keep at least one part of the brooder at 90 degrees was accurate, I did fine with it but now it seems excessive.
My brooder is also outside in a barn but I also live in Florida so the temps are not that cold. I do have fans in my coops for summer weather too.

 

[Shezadandy]

Ok thanks I get that, I was just wondering if the instructions I got to keep at least one part of the brooder at 90 degrees was accurate, I did fine with it but now it seems excessive.
My brooder is also outside in a barn but I also live in Florida so the temps are not that cold. I do have fans in my coops for summer weather too.

Yes, the trick for brooder raising them is to create a spot where they CAN simulate the 'duck under mom' to warm up. Once you see a broody raising chicks in October-Nov in Oregon and how little time they actually spend under her, the way we baby them in the brooder does seem excessive. The important part to remember is with a broody, she's everywhere they are and she is protecting them from flock members, "getting lost" and so on- she talks to them a lot, whereas we check sporadically, are gone for hours and so forth. =)