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apryl29 said:
This is exactly what I worry about! My child wants a new chicken, I told her no b/c you can't introduce just one new chicken, plus it's winter and only going to get colder. Then I'm thinking well, if someone goes broody then we'll see what we get, BUT then I worry that they won't accept the babies. I guess I'll deal with it when it comes to pass. I'm kinda hoping we don't get a broody, but also kinda hoping we do. Plus I don't want to deal with any boys I might get. Then I think maybe I can have a coop of just boys, but I really don't want that. I think if they were nice then someone might want them, but as it is now there's a 50/50 chance the father would be a leghorn or bantam BBOE. Willie is with them the most, but when Odin gets to mingle he fertilizes everyone he can catch. I wonder how that works.. like after a hen is fertilized, how long will she lay fertilized eggs.
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I separate the boys from the girls for 30 days, prior to setting up the breed pens. I do this for two reasons. 1) Many have said, and I have witnessed that a chicken can remain fertile for up to 30 days. 2) I feed the boys and girls a special blend of feed that is designed to improve hatch rates. Once the boys join the girls, they go on the girls feed and I don't use any of the eggs for hatching for the first week. After that, everything goes into the incubator.
 
Redhead Rae said:
The standard response is that the eggs will probably be good to hatch for 7 days at most. You can get fertile eggs for up to 21 days, but that decreases over that time. If you want hatching eggs, I would try to put your rooster with your hens as much as possible for 3-5 days and then start collecting eggs.
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CapricornFarm said:
I think it is about 2 weeks.
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Good to know. I like my little bantams, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about having a whole litter of mid-sized chickens. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens when I mix my sebright w the bboe, but I don't need a bunch of them.

Redhead Rae said:
Also, there is less concern about integration with a mama and babies than their are just babies. I put my broodies in a 5x5 PVC run with her own food and water with a nestbox tote inside the main run. She can see and hear the rest of the flock, and they can see and hear her so she doesn't lose her place in the flock. Once the babies hatch, I keep them in the run for a week and then I start letting them out with the main flock. At first, it is only for an hour or two before dark when I can watch and make sure nothing happens and I slowly start releasing them earlier to where my 12 week chicks are only confined long enough for them to get a decent breakfast down before we release them.
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Also good to know & a great idea! I haven't had an add-ins yet and I hope that everyone would get along, but I have the kind of luck where the unattended babies would be pecked to death.

We got a Meyer's catalog in the mail and my kids were fawning all over the chicks and my oldest picked out a $33 / chick rare jubilee orpington. Yeah... not gonna happen. They're beautiful, but holy wow, I can't afford that. Maybe if I had a flock of orps I'd consider getting a couple ladies and a guy, but why get a rare (& pay that much) if you aren't looking to breed? And the boy would be much to large to breed w/ my other ladies. Hell, if I could sell a chick for $30 each (plus shipping) I'd quit my job and do that full time.
 
rjohns39 said:
I separate the boys from the girls for 30 days, prior to setting up the breed pens. I do this for two reasons. 1) Many have said, and I have witnessed that a chicken can remain fertile for up to 30 days. 2) I feed the boys and girls a special blend of feed that is designed to improve hatch rates. Once the boys join the girls, they go on the girls feed and I don't use any of the eggs for hatching for the first week. After that, everything goes into the incubator.
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Oh, that's really good to know. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we get to the broody point. I'm kind of hoping that if we do get one it'll be during TSC's chick days, but I don't really want 6 more birds.. not enough space.
 
apryl29 said:
Oh, that's really good to know. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we get to the broody point. I'm kind of hoping that if we do get one it'll be during TSC's chick days, but I don't really want 6 more birds.. not enough space.
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If you get a straight run, you'll have some eating chickens.
 
Redhead Rae said:
If you get a straight run, you'll have some eating chickens.
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I tried to convince my child that we could get some cornish cross, but she refused to hear it. Someday she might accept that we can get some that are just to eat and not for eggs, but she's isn't that far along just yet.
Chickassan said:
Those jubilee orphingtons are crazy expensive! I was going to get some with the faverolles but my order would have been over 100 dollars and those were eggs!
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Are the eggs made out of gold? Hmmm I think that may be my retirement!
 
I have no ideas! I have never dealt with broody, yet.

staceyj said:
Are you referring to me?

Oh just "poor Dory" one of my buffs just wants to be broody
All. The. Dang. Time.

I feel sorry for her.
Last time I broke her in a little dog crate by bringing her inside and posting her next to an air conditioning floor vent.

Now the weather is cold so I can't bring her inside. I don't want her to get sick from coming into the warm house.

She's currently in the crate on the back porch. Perfectly satisfied mind you.

If I take away the nesting boxes she just pancakes on the floor of the coop.
When I evict her and lock up the coop, she just paces outside and three of the others torture her.

I hate having to divide the flock (of 6) but I think I'll have to do that for the next few days.
(Interestingly, the other 2 buffs never pick on her)

Other than that I'm out of ideas.

Suggestions?
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