Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Florida Bullfrog]

#8 and #9 came out with biddies today, but I won’t be able to get pics for a couple of days.

 

[LaurenRitz]

My broody is walking around all puffed up, basically acting broody, but not settling. Silly bird. I've been rotating eggs for her for a couple weeks.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I keep hoping. She's been on the nest all day. We'll see if she sticks tonight.

I have a set of (18) eggs in the incubator that should be hatching next Sunday. I gave her chicks at 8 days once and she accepted them without a hitch. Since she's been acting broody for well over a month but hasn't settled, I was considering trying her out on the new chicks without being fully committed and see what happens. She's never rejected a chick, so it's a possibility.

I have another set of chicks supposed to be here around the 10th, so 4 to 5 weeks out. I think that's too far, although if she doesn't accept this set I may still try it.

 

[tinychicky]

The first of my free range broodies has come out with her chicks today. Things get going a little later up here in the northeast. We had what I hope was the last frost last night. This is this hen's first time hatching babies but she's game mix and attacked me when I went to inspect her chicks . I'm hoping she'll take them into the coop tonight but on the other hand she's done well avoiding the raccoons and bobcats for the last three weeks so I trust her to take them to a safe place tonight. I believe her nest was under the porch.

 

[Wild Iris]

My rescue game hen hatched 6 chicks last month. Their dad is a Dominick/barnyard cross. Five are chipmunk striped and one looks to be dominick. She kept them in the garden area, where she had her nest, for a week or so, then moved them into the dogyard attached to the chicken pen area.

I had set up an XL dog crate (reinforced with chicken wire and hardware cloth) inside an unused, 3-sided doghouse-stall, thinking it might be good as a brooder, then I decided to wait and see what she did on her own. I was inordinately thrilled when she found it and decided to put it to its intended use. She goes to sleep there, with her chicks, every night, and I close their door when I close up the coop nextdoor to them. In the morning I let everyone out to forage all day.

They have their chickfeed & water on a little doghouse-porch by their crate. She is, however, very much of the mentality that anything she can find in the forest is miles better than these strange, manmade crumbles!

Just this week she has started taking the chicks into the other side, the chicken pen nextdoor where the coop is. There is a gate between which I leave open while everyone freeranges. Occasionally she takes them in while the flock is there, but usually she keeps the chicks on her side of the fence, or about 20-50 feet from the flock while foraging.

I am very interested to see how long she sleeps with them in the crate. She has never roosted in the coop with the other hens--only in a nearby holly tree. I wonder how & when she will teach her chicks to roost. They can flutter up about 2-3 feet or so right now.

She found three eggs in a nesting box near the doghouse, and she seemed rather pleased. She climbed into the nest, rolled the eggs under herself, gurgled happily, and then reluctantly got off to return to her noisy chicks.

I suspect that much of my current flock will never be "forest chickens", but hopefully a second generation, raised by this game mama, will be better equipped to handle a life more integrated with our woodland.

 

[Wild Iris]

Well. My rooster died last night. Don't know why. He seemed lethargic yesterday evening, and died last night. If it's nothing contagious and the others are fine--talk to me about the dangers of inbreeding within a flock of 8 hens (& six chicks from the game hen). I expect there will be a male among these chicks; could I use him as a flock rooster, or would that be a poor choice in the long run?

 

[LaurenRitz]

Are they all her babies?

The main concern would be whether you intend this as a long term project, or if these hens just lay eggs and then get replaced by others.

If long term, I'd say get rid of his sisters. If the other birds aren't all the same breed, there should be plenty of diversity for at least the first few generations.

 

[Wild Iris]

Are they all her babies?

The main concern would be whether you intend this as a long term project, or if these hens just lay eggs and then get replaced by others.

If long term, I'd say get rid of his sisters. If the other birds aren't all the same breed, there should be plenty of diversity for at least the first few generations.

Thank you--that makes sense. Yes, they are all siblings of the same two parents. I didn't find her nest in time to add other eggs.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Well, I figured out the problem with my broody.

A few weeks ago one of my young cockerels got out. The ladies were fine with him so I let him stay. He wing dances, tit-bits, and seems very polite. A few of the girls hang around with him.

This is actually his third chance. He was really young, maybe 12 weeks, when I put him away the first time. At 24 weeks I figured I'd try again. He was perfect, except for one thing--there was one hen that he simply would not let up. If she was visible he was on her, no asking. She was the only one he would actively chase down, and he didn't take no for an answer.

I put him back in isolation, until he got out this time--the coop door blew open in a storm. He's been out for about a month, and no hint of problems.

Well, I just saw the problem. The broody was on her nest and got off to take care of herself. He positioned himself between her and the nest and just waited for her to come to him. She fluffed, and bocked, and wouldn't go anywhere near him. Walked away, watching while she pretended to forage.

Once I chased him away she went back to her nest. But still wary. I suspect, without any proof, that he drags her out of her nest. Looks like I need to get rid of him. Probably not tonight, tornado warnings, but as soon as possible.

 

[ChaosMom]

Well, I figured out the problem with my broody.

A few weeks ago one of my young cockerels got out. The ladies were fine with him so I let him stay. He wing dances, tit-bits, and seems very polite. A few of the girls hang around with him.

This is actually his third chance. He was really young, maybe 12 weeks, when I put him away the first time. At 24 weeks I figured I'd try again. He was perfect, except for one thing--there was one hen that he simply would not let up. If she was visible he was on her, no asking. She was the only one he would actively chase down, and he didn't take no for an answer.

I put him back in isolation, until he got out this time--the coop door blew open in a storm. He's been out for about a month, and no hint of problems.

Well, I just saw the problem. The broody was on her nest and got off to take care of herself. He positioned himself between her and the nest and just waited for her to come to him. She fluffed, and bocked, and wouldn't go anywhere near him. Walked away, watching while she pretended to forage.

Once I chased him away she went back to her nest. But still wary. I suspect, without any proof, that he drags her out of her nest. Looks like I need to get rid of him. Probably not tonight, tornado warnings, but as soon as possible.

Oh, what a shame.

I hope the weather behaves for you and your area tonight!