Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bumpercarr]

I would be an obvious liar if I said I NEVER touch my babies as the evidence is right there in my avatar. However, I do try to be brief and disturb them as little as possible to let mom and chicks bond and to keep mom from getting very upset. Never overstress a broody hen as it may interrupt the bonding process and make her a less than perfect mother or she may harm the chicks if she begins to thrash about in anger or fear.

I do make very quick health checks withing the first day or two, and I keep a close eye on them for several weeks. Pasty butt indicates they aren't drinking enough, and very occasionally you can see a health problem that needs addressing such as vitamin deficiencies (funky feet appearing within the first week) and always be on the alert of bloody diarrhea or listless and rumple appearances as coccidiosis is always a possible threat.


You are correct that Rock is the breed and buff the color...however, whenever certain colors of a breed are selectively breed for, you also usually get certain characteristics selected as well either intentionally or inadvertently. For example, in dogs, Labrador Retriever is the breed, and any litter can have yellow or black in it. However, chocolate is the recessive color and you can only get chocolate labs from a chocolate lab in the mixing, best if both parents are since it is a recessive gene, but both parents must carry the recessive gene. If you want to consistently get chocolate to sell, then you will breed only chocolate labs. Chocolate Labs, while still a lovable lab, are generally more excitable and temperamental than the more frequently naturally occurring yellow and black, they also tend to have more health issues since, if I remember right, it is a double recessive (???).

I am early in my understanding of chicken genetics, and I've learned chicken genetics works differently than mammal genetics (one item being that the female determines the gender, not the male) and I think I've picked up that you don't have to worry about over inbreeding in chickens as much as you do in mammals as adding in too many lines causes more problems than it solves.

As to the reason of my buff question, I do know that barred is dominant and partridge is the wild type, so I suspicion buff is a recessive gene that was specifically selected for to get a flock of that color to sell, hence my query as to their temperament type and quality in case some behaviors or issues crept in as well. Hopefully those that know will enlighten me.

Lady of McCamley

I've been doing some extensive study on chicken genetics, it is really fascinating! The buff gene is actually a little bit of a mystery, I haven't found anyone that has figured out how the last bit of black has been eliminated to make a truly buff bird. I don't have any buffs, but I know from some brahma breeders that they tend to be a little difficult in temperament compared to most other colors of brahmas. Brahmas are a Columbian patterned buff, not a true no black buff. Similar to my darks (which are really silver penciled) whose temperaments are very different from my gold partridge (wild type). A true partridge (not wild type) is red instead of gold, I haven't figured out where to get the red enhancer yet to get that color into my breeding project.

You are correct that barring is dominant...it only requires one copy of the gene to get barred birds. The nice thing is, if you are trying to eliminate barring you can easily choose the birds that carry the barring gene because they will all show barring if they have a copy of the gene. Other traits, such as vulture hocks, are recessive and require two copies of the gene to show. So, you can have a male that is carrying the gene and a female that is carrying the gene, breed them and end up with vulture hocks in 25% of the chicks even though neither parent shows vulture hocks and 50% of the chicks will carry the gene but not show vulture hocks, 25% would be vulture hock free. Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the time (there are some exceptions) the color of the pullets will originate with the male and the color of the males will be a split between the male and female. That's assuming that the genetics of the colors of the parent birds are pretty pure.

Anyway, all boring stuff to most people I'm sure.

 

[CandylandRanch]

I am much larger than my broody....but I have learned to only touch a chick if it is necessary and it best be for only a split second. I did not raise her and she must not have been handled by the previous owners. None of my chickens were handled.....they are very used to me sitting with them and feeding them treats but no touching is allowed even tho they will eat out of my hand.....some of them. The other day one of her chicks got out of the coop. She did not get off the nest and the other two chicks....but she growled at me until i had set it back in the coop. Me crawling under the coop must have been a sight. Per advice from a more knowledgeable person here on BYC I will try to tame them after the broody has released them from her care. Lots of treats will be involved I'm sure. I am hoping in the future for a less aggressive broody....but I don't know if it will happen.

I have been very lucky with my hens. I got them all from day old . My EEs don't love to be touched but my Buff orps will let me hold them occasionally. My broody however is an EE and this entire brooding period she had let me love all over her! When I candled the eggs she didn't mind a bit. I pet her for log stints while she is sets her eggs and she just closes her eyes like it's relaxing. She doesn't like quick movements but other than that she's pretty relaxed. So I'm hoping when the chicks are hatched she will continue to let me play doula!

 

[vpatt]

I have been very lucky with my hens. I got them all from day old . My EEs don't love to be touched but my Buff orps will let me hold them occasionally. My broody however is an EE and this entire brooding period she had let me love all over her! When I candled the eggs she didn't mind a bit. I pet her for log stints while she is sets her eggs and she just closes her eyes like it's relaxing. She doesn't like quick movements but other than that she's pretty relaxed. So I'm hoping when the chicks are hatched she will continue to let me play doula!

You are lucky! My broody is my olive egger.....not only is she being stingy with the cute little chicks......I don't know when I will ever see another olive egg...she had been giving me one almost every day before the broodiness set in!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

The BYC member reports that those eggs came out of EE mom/BCM roo. Also Croad Langshan are reported to often have a purplish egg. I am attempting to create a rainbow basket from olive green, green/blue green, dark brown, lighter brown, tan, cream, white...and toss in some purple and pink. I make up my cartons like this to sell now.

Where can I get a carton of eggs like that?! That's awesome!

There is so much more to my idea of 'broody' and 'heritage' than just the surface definitions most use and it is great to have found others with the same ideas... my coop will never have a 'perfect' chicken maybe, but I hope to eventually have a few that are 'perfect' for me! LOL my idea of a great hen..... Willing to go broody at least once a year and maybe twice a year and able to hatch out and raise a clutch of 6 or so.... Willing and able to forage and teach the little ones to do the same.... Able to defend the little ones from normal dangers and teach them how to avoid them... Able to lay eggs of decent size and amount over the course of a year (medium large to large works for my purposes) Able to lay for a decent number of years, I would rather a hen lay 125- 150 eggs a year for 4 or 5 years than 200+ eggs/year for 2 years Be relatively calm and cooperative about being handled, she doesn't need to be a lap chicken, but I don't like birds who run away if you come within 5 feet of them. The traits are hard to find all rolled into one bird, but hoping it will happen for us.

This looks like a personal ad. Haha! Great list though!

So the hatch is right around the corner. I'm getting so anxious.. My biggest worry is that she sits to finish the staggered hatch .. Biting my nails over here in anticipation! How involved does everyone get with mom and babies. Is it bad to want to handle them and what not? (After they dry of course) I just want the chicks to love me too! Lol

Good question! When is your hatch due again?

I have been very lucky with my hens. I got them all from day old . My EEs don't love to be touched but my Buff orps will let me hold them occasionally. My broody however is an EE and this entire brooding period she had let me love all over her! When I candled the eggs she didn't mind a bit. I pet her for log stints while she is sets her eggs and she just closes her eyes like it's relaxing. She doesn't like quick movements but other than that she's pretty relaxed. So I'm hoping when the chicks are hatched she will continue to let me play doula!

My girl is pretty good. If I open the nest box to "visit", she fluffs up her feathers, makes a funny cooing/gargling noise and kind of puts her head down when I pet her. She only tried to bite the one night I first snuck eggs under her at about 10 P.m. I don't like to be woken up in the middle of the night either. It's only day 5! How will I contIn myself til hatch day?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

So my only two hens that are laying both decided to lay at the same time today. And of course we all have to use the favorite nesting box. Since the favorite spot was taken (by broody hen and eggs), and second favorite spot was taken by one hen, we had to have the other laying hen hop in the box with the broody. That is actually pretty silly looking since they are sisters and solid black and I still can't really tell them apart.

So broody hen hops off the nest for a break and a snack (probably her first one in a couple days), but all is good in the hood since her sister is keeping the eggs warm. Broody came back and kicked her sister off the nest since the other chicken had finished laying. This all took place over the span of 5-10 minutes. One egg did get moved from the nest, but it was still very warm and I popped it right back under her.

Question for any of you with more broody experience: Every once in a while when my broody get off the nest (by me removing her or voluntarily), she has what I can only describe as a 3 second freak out, where she squaks loudly and runs-flies-flaps wings across the yard. Then goes back to normal. Has anyone else ever seen this little show?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Yes that crazy broody, mini tornado is totally normal. I don't know if it is just to get the muscles and blood supply going after sitting so long or it is a reaction to the outside world after coming out of the broody trance that they seem to go into or it is a natural instinct designed to distract attention away from the nest..... or something else.
It is a bit scary when you first see it..... LOOK OUT! CRAZY BROODY COMING THROUGH! It's especially strange as there is usually a bit of a pause when she comes off the nest before it happens..... calm before the storm I guess.
Broodies are so funny!

I hope you had your eggs marked and were able to fish that new egg out.

Good luck with your hatch

Barbara

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hi

Yes that crazy broody, mini tornado is totally normal. I don't know if it is just to get the muscles and blood supply going after sitting so long or it is a reaction to the outside world after coming out of the broody trance that they seem to go into or it is a natural instinct designed to distract attention away from the nest..... or something else.
It is a bit scary when you first see it..... LOOK OUT! CRAZY BROODY COMING THROUGH! It's especially strange as there is usually a bit of a pause when she comes off the nest before it happens..... calm before the storm I guess.
Broodies are so funny! 

I hope you had your eggs marked and were able to fish that new egg out.

Good luck with your hatch

Barbara

Haha! That's exactly it! A tornado! That's so funny,I'm glad you know what im talking about. Actually, the other girl laid her egg in the other spot after the first hen had finished, no problem there. Also, the fertile eggs are a bit smaller and pointier than any of my other girls eggs, but they are marked anyways. . Thanks! I may just be a skeptic, but I will be amazed if any hatch, just because how cold it is out there. But nature does surprise...

 

[vpatt]

I have an odd question and I hope it is ok on this thread. My rooster has just recently started looking like a roo and has grown a LOT and yesterday I watched for a while and he seems to be actling more manly, too. Besides the obvious roo behavior I also saw him scratching around and then call some girls over to check it out. I think that is awesome. But my question....he is a dom...one of the first five chickens I got. All five were doms and came from the same farm so they were together free ranging from their hatch and I'm sure the other four are his sisters. They were the ones who went to check out his treat. None of the other breeds showed any interest. This morning he pushed the RSL away from the feed....reverting to his juvenile behavior. He is not mean to any of them just doesn't share food usually...but just pecks in their general direction to make them move. I know he is still learning.....do you think the other girls (the different breeds) will begin following him, too? He is maybe six months old. I just think there is a bond among the hatchmates and wonder if that will make a difference in the flock.

Another thing I have noticed is that he has stopped roosting and sleeps in the bottom of the coop....at least right at bedtime when I am locking them up. A couple of the others stay in the bottom too. I have not paid attention to who they are. Maybe I will check them out after they have settled in for a while one of these nights.

Thnx for any responses. I love the idea of having a roo and he is the same towards me as always. He is not afraid of me and is curious and has never yet shown any aggression to any human. And he does a dance with one of the hens where they flare up their ruffs and bump chests is that love or something like it? Or is it a power play?
Thnx again.

 

[ChickyChickens]

OKay...lol 2/3 eggs the eggs hatched!!! They were under a broody for the first 18 days but then she quit so I put them in my bator!!!

 

[kristin07035]

Candled yesterday and all looking good (one marans egg I'm not 100% sure about but will just wait and see) due to hatch on Christmas day