How to get a hen Broody?

[chicken-keeper]

I have 12 golden comets and i am thinking about have chick's. At first i was thinking about incubation....... but now im thinking about doing it with nature....... if i got a cockeral in and he was fertiling the eggs..... is there any garentee that one of my hens will go broody....... if she dose how do i tell (will she just be sitting on the eggs all the time?) ....... also how do i monitor progress and check just how many eggs she is laying on..... will she stay on them all they time and even sleep on them? Also will she just "brood" on top of the eggs in the laying box..... or do i take her away from the other hens and put her in a large carboard box with the eggs?

If she dose go broody how many eggs will she lay on .......... i take it once she lays on the she takes care of the eggs and turns them ext......

Is this the right time to have chicks?

Last thing now ! Once the chick's have hatched do i take them off herer and bring them inside under a heat lamp? Or do i just leave the chick's out there with her?

Sorry for all the questions as you can tell im new to all this....... many thanks to anyone who responds and helps me.....

 

[aberfitch]

Red comets are egg production birds. They are laying machines, most likely they will not go broody, even if she does she will probably not be a good mother. you will need to get a heritage bird, or a standard breed to have a better chance of having a good broody.

 

[chicken-keeper]

right but they can still become fertilsed cant they? And lay fertile eggs........ so i could still resort back to the incubactor idea?

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

I doubt you will have any luck getting a broody out of your group. They were not designed that way. Get a broody. Silkies, cochins, OEG hen, orpingtons, etc. They are known for their broodiness.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Good Mornin'
I think everyone has asked those questions at one time .....
I am fairly new at this also but I found having a couple little bantam hens are good mom's....they will suddenly one day decided their going to hatch out some eggs...and sit on everyones eggs......I usually adopt some fertile eggs from someone that has a rooster and has different breeds I want to ad to my flock and she will do the rest for you...I usually seperate her from the main flock so I know how many eggs are under her....and I mark the calender and count the days down ....remember to supply food and water for her...Once the chicks are hatched and if its nice outside I will put them in a chicken tractor during the day and move it around the yard so mom can teach the chicks how to eat etc. and the other girls can check them out ...You'll know when to let them into the main flock....Good Luck....get plannin'

 

[chicken-keeper]

Quote:
thanks for the help this has been the best post yet....... i might try and incubate them..... as i dont want to get 1 different hen.......

the incubator might be my best bet...

 

[Ridgerunner]

I personally would get an incubator with those hens after I got the rooster.

 

[chicken-keeper]

whats a rooster???

And yes its more likely ill get an incubator...... whens the right time to hatch chicks?

 

[Lollipop]

Broody Hens;

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
A rooster is what you call a cockeral, a male chicken, necessary to fertilize the eggs.

People hatch eggs year round. There is no wrong time to hatch chicks. A lot of people tend to hatch them in the spring so the weather is nicer when they can go ouside, but, really, it can be anytime.