My first attempt at hatching.

[joey7319]

I currently have 6 partridge chantecler hens and a roo. I had 7 hens but a roaming bird dog killed one. But my smallest hen out of the flock has shown signs of being broody for a while now, so this morning I set her up with a brood box and eight of their eggs. She could`nt wait for me to even leave the coop before she hopped on those eggs. My kids, 2 & 5 are already asking when will the babies be here, It is going to be a long 21 days. Anyone have any luck on their first try? I figured I would let the hen do the work, Mother knows best right.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like you are handling it just right. There is always a chance something can go wrong, but I'm thinking you will do great.

With your kids, you might look up a site that shows the development of the eggs, day by day, and share with your kids. It is such an educational opportunity and would help them really become attached to the chicks. I'd even suggest candling with them about day 14.

A lot will depend on your attitude, but even if you plan to eat all or most of these chicks, most kids can handle it. Maybe some teachers that hatch eggs in class could comment on this?

You know your kids and how you want to raise them, so please just take this only as a suggestion. I'm not telling you how to raise your kids.

Good luck!

 

[joey7319]

Thanks for the suggestions. We got the chickens for a learning experiance for the kids and for the better eggs and meat. I`m sure we will have our favorites that get to stick around long term, but most are fair game. The kids have been eating more eggs and chicken since bringing home the birds and are excited about it. They could not wait to cook the first egg they collected.