Letting my broody raise 20 meaties. Now I have a rooster raising 50 CX chicks~new batch!

[spook]

Wow, I agree with PurpleChicken! I am so amazed at what you have done raising meaties within the free range, no real added human assistance. Now, when momma catches you sneaking off with her babies, how do you think that will go?
If I have a broody, its a bantam...or the wrong time of spring when I get meaties. Lucky you and its totally amazing!

 

[Beekissed]

Spook, I'm glad you like the thread!

Mom has already faded into the flock and the "babies" are on their own. As soon as we integrated them back into the flock, Mom started roosting with the rest of the laying flock but kept a careful eye on the floor of the coop where the youngsters slept in the pine bedding. She monitored them for a couple of weeks but then it became less and less. By 4-5 wks they were entirely orphans in the world again!

Now I have another broody who will be getting 16 new orphans tonight. MPC delivered my new layer chicks just in time to get in on the hatch of my broody's four eggs. She is a NHR and will be a great mother to these chicks.

My heart goes out to chicks raised under a heat lamp and watching them huddling together for company and snuggles. My first batch of chicks were heat lamp babies and they turned out okay but its still nice to have a big, fluffy, warm mama to sleep under!

 

[Farmer_Dan]

I'm inspired by this thread. I have 2 broody hens (first time broody for both of them) that just pushed an egg shell out from under them!! Tiny little head peeking out from under a feather and several more eggs waiting to hatch out.

Tomorrow morning, we should be getting 25 meaties from the factory (*cough* hatchery) and are hoping that the 2 mama's will adopt them and raise them too! Hopefully it wont be too much for them, but there are 2 of them so 25 shouldn't be too many right? Oh and the possible 8 that they have been cumulatively sitting on.

Interestingly, I ordered the meaties, then the girls went broody, THEN I found this thread!!!!


Good times

 

[Beekissed]

Dan, it was meant to be!

I don't think your broodies will have a problem but the meaties may hog all the chick's feed....

I just placed another 16 foster chicks(layers this time) under another broody last night. I was a little worried about it this time due to the fact she is still sitting on her clutch of 4 eggs, which should hatch this week. She pecked me a lot as I was shoving chicks under her butt, so I was a little worried about the chicks being accepted.

This morning I went to check and didn't see a chick one, so I lifted up her tail a little and out popped a chick! She looked startled and then started the "mommy" cluck but still didn't get off her eggs. The chicks have access to feed and water right next to their ground level nest, so they should be able to come and go under "mom" until she has her own blessed event.

One of them grabbed her wattle and held on...she looked startled and tried to pull away while this little fuzz ball hung on for dear life! It was high comedy...where was my camera when I needed it??

The pic of this chick dangling from this very surprised hen would have been priceless!

So...another broody foster care situation accomplished and I feel it is a success!

Here is a pic of these awfully darn cute chicks when they arrived in the mail yesterday:

 

[halo]

Oh boy I cant wait to see the pics of Mommy and "new" babies!

 

[Lollipop]

Bee, I`ve followed this thread with great interrest, even though I have no interrest in raising my own meaties. Very well done and most interresting. I have to say the chances of your broody hatching those eggs is slim. Any new mom I`ve ever had has only remained on the nest for not more than a day and a half after her chicks have hatched. The fact that your eggs are a little behind will probably means she won`t stay long enough. I only say this so you can make preparations to place them in a hatcher to complete the hatching. A box, or even a bowl with a lid and thermometer so you can control the heat should work, if they are due this week. Place a small bowl of water in there with a washcloth sticking out to increase humidity and the chicks should hatch if they are only 1-3 days out. Good luck to ya and thanks for a great thread..........Pop

 

[Wolfwoman]

Looks like some Welsummer and either Barred Rock or Sexlink Male chicks there? Are the orange ones Cornish? Cuties

 

[Beekissed]

Close, Wolf....Partridge Rocks, Speckled Sussex, Barred Rocks and RIRs.

Lollipop, you were very correct...she didn't stay on the nest and there was only one chick in one of the eggs, the rest were duds. It probably would have survived, it was so close to hatching...nice big chick.

All the chicks are doing well and loving their new mama and she is very pleased with her brood. I have pics but will post them later.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Ack! Well then maybe I don't have Welsummers... not sure what my packing peanuts are!!

 

[Farmer_Dan]

2 / 8 hatched, but due to shipping issues, only 10 / 25 of the cornish X's showed up alive. They did adopt them though and they are indeed very cute with their new moms.