- Oct 26, 2013
- 17
- 4
- 26
Or should I say lucky me. I lost both of my roosters this last winter one to rooster fight when I had to bring the other into the coop after an artic blast, and another to a opossum because the door froze open in 6 inches of ice around the coop. It was a very hard winter. My hens were getting older most of them nearly 3 years old. I found them a barred rock rooster named him Miles Standish and put him in with the girls. meanwhile my buff Orpington began to go broody, in her 4th spring she began eying the golf balls I kept in one of the nest. All was well. I had hand raised all of my first 12 ts chickens, so all of them had names as time goes on I would lose one here and there and it was like losing a pet. I am protective of my flock. 2 years ago one of the golden girls (wyandotte) and one of the Isa browns got broody at the same time, they hatched out 8 baby chicks 7 roosters, and one little wysa hen. I did not name any of them. I had learned my lesson.
As my flock aged though I knew I had to replenish it. But I was not into being momma hen again. So I ordered 9 pullets. 6 Rhode Island reds, and 3 isa browns, In my mind pullets are teenage fully feathered chicks, to my surprise the store I ordered them through considered pullets day old chicks.
Adjustments had to be made.
Thank God for my broody hen. During that first day I kept the chicks in the house and warmed them with a coffee cup in the little box they came in. The Isa's were the only ones who huddled the cup hence the names Sweet Cream, Coffee, and Columbia. The Buff had only been setting eggs for 3 days. At sunset, I brought in the baby chicks and the momma attacked one with a vengance. So I turned off the light and waited. This time I took an egg, and replaced it with a chick, until all eggs were gone and all nine chicks were under her. I checked on them several time during the night. finally at daybreak the hen had stopped trilling at egg
s and was softly clucking. She had accepted all nine of the little ones. She was happy, she must have thought wow that was a short brood. But I figured how bright could a hen be, to have tried to hatch golf balls for 2 days before I put thefertile eggs in under her. Her total brood time was 5 days, and I have 9 of the luckiest incubator baby chicks in the world. Now it is 2 days and she is making a wonderful momma hen. The geese are fascinated and watch over the brooder coop as if they were guard dogs. Hooray that all is well that ends well. 
As my flock aged though I knew I had to replenish it. But I was not into being momma hen again. So I ordered 9 pullets. 6 Rhode Island reds, and 3 isa browns, In my mind pullets are teenage fully feathered chicks, to my surprise the store I ordered them through considered pullets day old chicks.
Adjustments had to be made.
Thank God for my broody hen. During that first day I kept the chicks in the house and warmed them with a coffee cup in the little box they came in. The Isa's were the only ones who huddled the cup hence the names Sweet Cream, Coffee, and Columbia. The Buff had only been setting eggs for 3 days. At sunset, I brought in the baby chicks and the momma attacked one with a vengance. So I turned off the light and waited. This time I took an egg, and replaced it with a chick, until all eggs were gone and all nine chicks were under her. I checked on them several time during the night. finally at daybreak the hen had stopped trilling at egg
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