Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

What I'm looking for is your opinions.lol. But I have some Minorca's and WLH's around my way as well as Wyndottes (Gold & Sliver & blue, red) and Araucana's. But I can almost get any breed from shipping.

Chickens should be picked on a number of reasons....
Climate- many breeds are better suited for hot climates, and many for cold... so depends on where you are or what type of shelter you can provide
Space- some breeds don't do well confined to small spaces, some prefer them... some breeds are flighty and will roost in trees, some need low perching and stick around the hen yard
Personality- some are very friendly and docile and are frequently better suited to handling or being around kids.... some breeds are standoffish and more assertive
Use- Some breeds lay a lot of eggs, or eggs of varying colors, some breeds are more intended for meat production and eggs are a laid, but not as many
Broody- some breeds go broody often, some rarely... what do you like?

So given all of these variables you can understand why others can't just tell you what you should raise? Now if you answer some of the above with your preferences then maybe folks can be better able to give you ideas of breeds you will enjoy having

 

[Pozees]

I only lurk here, as I'm currently just a broody-wanter, but wanted to offer my two cents on two queries.

For the coop designer, have you thought about corner wheels that can be lowered when you want to move the coop and raised so the coop is back on the ground while in one place? My main concern about moving coops is ensuring no one is inside during the move, but that's just me.

For cluckcluckluke, since you have several breeds around you I would probably opt for local eggs. If you are not sure what to hatch why not try a couple of each? I personally think white leghorns are wonderful but I stay away from white birds because I free range and they are too easy to spot from the sky, but Minorcas would be very cool, and they are a breed that would benefit from more folks raising them. I want to add some to my flock later this year or next year. Wyandottes are beautiful, Ameraucanas lay pretty eggs. I try to stay local as much as possible, and you may benefit from having a local resource for whatever breed(s) you choose.

 

[pysankigirl]

People have different criteria...mine will be different from yours.

So...Well... I like a very friendly/non flighty chicken with an amount of broodiness, jumbo white eggs for my pysanky dyeing, absolutely gorgeous coloration, doesn't need to be excessively hardy because I live in zone 7. I prefer a dual breed that is color-sexable at birth so that I can give the roosters away to a friend who will raise them to eat, but decent egg production as well. And I like the concept of heritage breeds


I have settled on Red or Colored Dorkings, although they may be more difficult to find. They are not the most flashy, but they are very friendly, very historical, lay a white egg, and I love their squat round stubby shape.

but because I wasn't able to find EVERYTHING and I do like brown eggs also...I also chose Barnevelders because I think they are gorgeous.

your mileage may vary

 

[gabrielle1976]

Yes please let us know what you want in your birds , pets, eggs , meat , showing, IF you want eggs what color would you like pink green blue brown white. Are your summers super hot or your winters super cold? Do you live in a muddy climate where feather footed birds would have issues ? I personally love love love barred rocks especally for new chicken owners they are very strikeing (especally if you get them from a good heritage breeder) , they tend to be friendly and not flighty, they are not super big or to small , they lay a good amount of nice large brown eggs and can be used for meat and are pretty good in lots of climates and you can sex them at hatch. But there are so many types of chickens out there you have to give us a list of what you want and need and dont want and then we can help you better.

Only a couple more days and mini will be hatching her babies. I had a qustion though please. I have 4 eggs in the incubator that are a day behind her eggs. Could I graft those chicks to her if all five of hers dont hatch. I dont think she could cover more then five so I wont if all hers do hatch but if they dont could I giver her a few babies from the bator the night they hatch?

 

[stonykill]

For the coop designer, have you thought about corner wheels that can be lowered when you want to move the coop and raised so the coop is back on the ground while in one place? My main concern about moving coops is ensuring no one is inside during the move, but that's just me.

2 of my coops are mobile. I only move the coops while everyone is locked in the coop. Once in it's new location I open the door.

 

[Fentress]

2 of my coops are mobile. I only move the coops while everyone is locked in the coop. Once in it's new location I open the door.

I plan to remove the broody, but still keep her in the same coop with the rest of the flock and hopefully have the brood back in the flock a soon as possible ( a few days) after the hatch. I know there are different opinions on this re: when the brood can re-enter the flock. I just envisioned the skids of the coop being barriers to the chicks being able to move around and exit the coop. I will figure it out when the time comes. I may not even get any broodies, I haved New Hampshire, Barred Roack and Speckled Sussex from Welp Hatchery,

 

[CoopChick719]

First timer w/chickens here needs your help!! If you have a broody raising her chicks, is there a need for a grow out pen? What exactly is a grow out pen?

My broody Sizzle is sitting on 6 mixed eggs from a friend's EE's, WR's & BR's. She is in my one & only coop--8 x 12 with 6 chickens. None of the others are laying right now and no one has bothered her one bit. They avoid her like the plague! I plan to build a pen around her before hatch day so everyone will be safe. I'm not sure how 2 of my bantam cochins will behave towards the chicks. Can't really tell how the pecking order goes but one of them acts like the head hen. She even tried to move the rooster out of her favorite spot on the roost but he said No way!

Re-posting this. Can anyone answer my question? Thank you!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Grow out pen is to get Brooder raised chicks up big enough to let into the main flock.

The beauty of letting a broody do the incubation work is they do the grow out work too. She will teach them how to eat and drink and beat the crap out of anyone who messes with them. She will stop what shes doing at a moments notice hunker down to get her chicks warmed up.

Sounds like shes going to be good with the rest of the hens. Though once the chicks hatch you might spend some time observing at first you may want but you dont have to build a temporary partition so that the hen can have them all to herself for a couple of days. But the best thing is to have them all integrated in the flock.

deb

 

[cluckcluckluke]

O.K everyone, here you go-
I want high production egg layers (sell my eggs), relatively friendly (doesn't have to be), would prefer PB's, I live in a sub tropical - tropical climate, I have a lot of run space and I free range my hens, my roosts are about 1metre off the ground but their is a ladder for those who don't want to fly up (like my frizzle and Araucana's) and I like large breeds (like Orps and WLH's).
So what breed of hen is this???
I was thinking Minorca's and WLH's.

 

[ZakoHero]

I am currently just lurking here and waiting for one of my 4 hens to go broody or my incubator to ship

.LOL!!!