I was told these were Mexican Game Hens?

[AmyLang]

I have been getting a fairly steady supply of eggs from these game hens. I have been pleased. They are mostly green layers (4of6) with the other 2 laying cream colored eggs it seems. We are getting quite the assortment of sizes and colors. We have white and cream and pinkish brown and light brown and a darker brown. It has been great. On a warmer stretch,in one day I got 11 eggs out of my 18 hens. Not bad for winter and the mix-ups with the flock.

 

[AmyLang]

Okay...I have some more questions for those of you that know these game hens. I have one that has gone broody, and have another that is thinking about it, it seems. The one that has gone broody is sitting on 7 or 8 eggs. A few of them I have placed under her..the others have been her choosing to sit on them. They are a combination of eggs. I have had mixed reviews/responses on whether or not the Plymouth Rock Roo would be fertilizing the eggs from the game hens. Some say absolutely, some say no way. I haven't yet witnessed it...anyone have thoughts on this? Also, I have been reading up on broody hens sitting on unfertilized eggs. Thinking I will try to candle them sometime around day 10. Hoping that I will be able to see through well enough. I just don't want them to go bad and explode, as I've heard this can happen. Then again, I've heard it isn't a big deal, and whatever hasn't hatched by day 21 probably won't. Overall, I'm super excited that this girl has gone broody, and I'm hoping for chicks. I have moved her into her own area so it is just her and the eggs and her own food and water supply. I made the decision to move her when after she got up to eat, she went back to an empty nest and sat on air for a bit. I moved the eggs back in with her, and she worked them under. Hoping that she wasn't off of them too long. I'm so new to this that I'm still learning the birds and bees of the chicken world If another hen goes broody, I will probably start her on her own also. We shall see!

 

[AmyLang]

an update on these hens. One of them has been broody, and is hatching babies and still sitting on eggs as I type. I'm VERY excited!

 

[lilliesanchicks]

Game hens are great mothers, I have a game hen mix who is one of my favorites and she keeps going broody but when she is not she lays almost everyday.
Can not wait to see what she hatches out.

 

[AmyLang]

Here is Momma Hen and Baby Chick. You all were right, she is a great Momma and was a great broody hen. Sorry about the bad quality pic, but Momma won't let me anywhere near her, and it is rare that I even see the baby chick. I moved her "nest box" so that it was easier for them to get to the food and water, and so that they can hunker down right under the heat lamp area if needed. I think it will help keep them a bit warmer.

And, I'm also trying my hand at incubating right now. Just borrowed an incubator, and will be trying to see what I can hatch myself. I have 32 eggs in there right now. I'm on day 3/4. I hope to let this Momma or one of my other game hens...go broody again later this year/summer. We shall see.

It has been really neat to see this all progress and happen.

 

[AmyLang]

I went to TSC this morning and got more chicks for Momma Hen. She accepted them immediately, and seemed quite unhappy with me that I had her chicks for some reason. I took a video of her taking them in, and them finding shelter under her wings. If I can figure out how to post that, I will.

 

[Ducky713]

Hello all! I'm new to the forum here. I have 6 hens that I am curious about. I was informed that they are Mexican Game Hens and that they will lay eggs. (molting now, and I believe that they are more seasonal layers and won't lay during the winter?). The guy I got them from says that they were laying brown and blue eggs before the seasons changed. They were born last March I believe. I have 4 good egg-laying hens aside from these girls that will lay through the winter...curious as to what others know about these...if they are egg layers...and any other information one might have on them. I might find them new homes if they are not going to produce many eggs at all.















Thanks!

this is a long dead thread, but the breed is known as Chiviscoya(Chiviscoyo for a male or plural) and comes from Veracruz, well at least according to my mom. I have a young pullet who share the same looks of your flock of Chiviscoyos.