Lot's of questions - 2 to start

[Karahbell]

Hello
I am newer than a newb... I just purchased my first flock back in May, some of them started to lay their eggs, however I can never catch or witness which one is laying, as soon as they hear the slider door they all get super excited and run towards me.
lol

So I will be expanding the chicken run next year and before doing so I know I have A LOT to learn. I figure this is the place since there are a lot of experienced chicken owners / farmers here at BYC.

What I would like to do is buy some brooding hens that were actually hatched naturally, not in a incubator. All my hens and my rooster came from a local breeder and the chances of them going broody I hear is slim to none.

So my first question would be, is it fine to have a broody hen with the rest of the flock, plus will the chicks be safe?
Secondly, Can you recommend a breeder that raises hens this way, hatched naturally not in an incubator?

A little info on my flock that might help you answer my questions...
(not sure if I spelled all the breeds correctly)
1 rooster he is a french copper marans (my avatar pic)
1 french copper marans hen
1 Easter egger hen
1 Speckled Sussex hen
1 Buff Orpington
1 silkie hen
1 white Cochin bantam hen
1 Australop hen
1 Turken hen

They are all very docile except the white Cochin bantam sometimes will show aggression towards the others.

Any help is much appreciated. thanks in advance!

Karah

 

[draye]

Being hatched in an incubator has nothing to do with a hen going broody.
I have incubator hens and have several that go broody.

As far as breeds go some are more likely to go broody than others:
1) Buff Orpington
2) Naked Neck
3) Old English Game'
4) Cochin
5) less likely but have had a Leghorn or two to go broody.

A lot has to do with the individual chicken.

 

[ramirezframing]

your silkie and cochin should go broody for you, maybe even your buff orp

 

[Karahbell]

Being hatched in an incubator has nothing to do with a hen going broody.
I have incubator hens and have several that go broody.

As far as breeds go some are more likely to go broody than others:
1) Buff Orpington
2) Naked Neck
3) Old English Game'
4) Cochin
5) less likely but have had a Leghorn or two to go broody.

A lot has to do with the individual chicken.

Thanks for responding to my post Dave.

I am very confused and need to learn the right terminology, I guess. I thought broody meant when a hen lays an egg and then incubates it herself until it hatches...?

But my original 2 questions are and hopefully you may know or someone else here...

Is it fine to keep the hen in the run/coop with the rest of the flock once she starts to incubate her own eggs? Would the chicks be safe with the flock too?

And does anyone have chickens for sale that are hatched this way .... with the mother hen. I'm looking to buy some in January.

Thank you!!!

 

[mstricer]

Definitely the Marans will go broody. All of mine, except one, started going broody as a pullet.

 

[ramirezframing]

I am very confused and need to learn the right terminology, I guess. I thought broody meant when a hen lays an egg and then incubates it herself until it hatches...? yes that is what a broody is, but even birds hatched in an incubator can go broody

But my original 2 questions are and hopefully you may know or someone else here...

Is it fine to keep the hen in the run/coop with the rest of the flock once she starts to incubate her own eggs? Would the chicks be safe with the flock too? I normally let them brood and hatch them in the pen and than take the chicks as they hatch. Now while away for a while the Dh didn't get eggs, so my silkies had a field day and have been fine raising the chicks in the pen. (there was 6 babies to 5 mama hens

) You can let them start to brood in the pen and after a week move them at night into a small dog kennel so that when they hatch out none of the other hens can kill/ eat the babies

And does anyone have chickens for sale that are hatched this way .... with the mother hen. I'm looking to buy some in January.

Thank you!!!

hope this helps

 

[Karahbell]

hope this helps

Yes it does help... thank you for your help!