I have a Broody RIR!!!!! Update pics pg3 & pg5

[SportTees]

 

[milleryardchx]

soooo cute!

 

[ams3651]

My RIR hatched out her 4 over 3 days so dont give up too soon if the others dont hatch right away. There are differences in the time a brooder takes to hatch and a hen. I was told a hen hatches between 20 and 23 days. Very cute, she looks like a good mom. Just a tip, I had my hen and babies in a broody box right in the coop with the other chickens so every one could get used to each other. After a month I let them out together with no problems but they still go in with mom at night to sleep.

 

[Iancurrannacearca]

they look so cool

 

[needtohatch]

Quote:
Since I put the eggs under her over a 3 day period, I plan to wait till she gets off and then I will check for any unhatched eggs. I have a bator going with duck eggs right now and the humidity in there is perfect for hatching chicken eggs so I figure I can stick any eggs the broody leaves in the bator and then stick them back under her at night.
All our birds free range and come in the barn at night to roost. I have her box in the barn close to where the main feeding station and "roost room" is so all the others can at least hear her and the chicks. They can fly up and land on the fence over the top of the box and see what is going on inside too. I plan to leave them shut in the box for the first 2-3 days and then let them come and go as they want.

 

[needtohatch]

She has 8 chicks under her now!

She is the sweetest broody. I had read so many posts and my aunt told me stories of broodys that got really mean/protective when the had eggs/chicks that I just figured she would get that way too. Nope! She lets me reach right in and pick up a baby. Never once since she started sitting has she ever tried to peck me!

My only concern is that she may not be protective enough when I let them out with the rest of the flock.

I guess if not I will have to put 2 watermellon crates together with the ends cut out to give them a little more room to move till they get bigger.

 

[dancingbear]

Great pics! She'll probably be protective enough. She's just comfortable with you, probably.

 

[77horses]

Congrats!

and cute pics! Our BO hen is now on day 19-20 with 4 eggs that developed and I can't wait for them to hatch! It's her first time as a broody hen.

 

[77horses]

Oh and it's probably not that's she "not protective enough"...it's most likely that she just trusts you that you won't hurt her babies. Like with our broody BO hen, she will growl and puff up her feathers when we get near her, but she has never pecked us so far. We raised her from a chick and she's so sweet and gentle; I have a feeling she's going to be a good momma hen.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
All 3 of my Kraienkoppes went broody last year at around 7 or 8 months, FWIW.

And my broody is my pet; I can walk up to her in the yard and pick her up, or she will jump on my knee if I am sitting down. She growls a little sometimes but has never pecked. She and two of her sisters hatched one last year, all three raised it, and I was always free to handle the chick, as far as they were concerned. They shared nest as well as Mama duties, though one was mostly the setter. Lost both her sisters. (Hatchery sisters, no doubt unrelated.)