Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Just 5 or 6 more days until my second batch of eggs hatch....if I have another broody at any point in the future, I might slip a couple eggs under her and 'forget' to bring them down!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My silkies don't make it to 9 weeks with their chicks until they are broody again

One of my broody silkies had a pip this morning!

And the baby was still good this morning that was cold!

Glad to hear baby is doing good. and congrats on the pip. Do you sell your chicks or do you keep all the chicks that hatch at your place.

 

[aoxa]

Glad to hear baby is doing good. and congrats on the pip. Do you sell your chicks or do you keep all the chicks that hatch at your place. 

I've sold off quite a few at the end of September. If I kept all that hatched I'd be in bad shape

Right now I have around 40 chicks. All boys (except silkies) get used for meat. I actually have people waiting for silkies.

 

[Johnn]

still with them 14 weeks

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Johnn- I think your girl and mine are on the same page. My babies are 9 weeks old and momma is still their best friend. I took 3 away (LF babies were actually bigger than momma and still snuggling up at night and clucking to her) but she still has her 3 Silkie babies. I couldn't believe the big babies. They were bigger than momma Summer and constantly trampling the Silkie babies.

 

[Lacy Blues]

still with them 14 weeks

John, glad your little cuckoo guy is letting his sister eat and not chasing her off.

I wanted to ask you about this little girl's feet. They look awfully red. I can see that its muddy and probably cold there and that would make her feet red too but I wanted to suggest that you check her feet and make sure they're ok.

 

[Johnn]

John, glad your little cuckoo guy is letting his sister eat and not chasing her off.

I wanted to ask you about this little girl's feet. They look awfully red. I can see that its muddy and probably cold there and that would make her feet red too but I wanted to suggest that you check her feet and make sure they're ok.

i will look tomorrow

 

[Johnn]

Johnn- I think your girl and mine are on the same page. My babies are 9 weeks old and momma is still their best friend. I took 3 away (LF babies were actually bigger than momma and still snuggling up at night and clucking to her) but she still has her 3 Silkie babies. I couldn't believe the big babies. They were bigger than momma Summer and constantly trampling the Silkie babies.

i wonder when mine will actually split from their mother!! wonder if yours will last aslong

 

[Johnn]

also what do you think i should be looking for on her feet? or just the overall condition??

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm not really sure. They just look to be really red... maybe she has a bad rash between her toes? If she has an injury, her foot/leg will probably be hot compared to the other one unless they're both like that, and you need to find the cause. If its a rash, maybe cleaning them really well and then put some vaseline on them to protect them from the mud? Like I said, I really don't know, and it may be nothing more than cold, wet feet but I was just a bit concerned when I saw them as the cockerels feet are not like that. I can only see the mama's right foot and its red too. If its just something peculiar to orpingtons, that may be all it is but I didn't want to say something and then read later about some foot problem you found and wish you'd found earlier.