Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[vpatt]

Thank you everyone! I love hearing about all the different chickens and different ways of doing things. And all the great advice I always get.

I had a 92 gram egg yesterday! Its the biggest so far. Too be honest I feel like it must hurt her to lay an egg that big.....am I pathetic or what?

 

[Blooie]

Not pathetic at all...when Ida that first big 112 gram egg, Ken said, "Which chicken laid THAT one?" I replied, "I dunno - whichever one is limping I guess."

 

[Lady of McCamley]

@vpatt I personally don't enjoy culling, (when my daughter and I could do it together)...but I've grown up in a farm family, so it is part of the life cycle...remember, that hen isn't thinking twice about killing that mouse, nor the hawk the hen...it helps a little to keep it in their perspective. Also, like you, I have one family member who can't eat the processed meat in the grocery stores, and organic, non-treated chicken is expensive and hard to find (if you don't want the sugar additives). I am trying to use my roosters when I can, then find the perfect breed to produce good layers and meaty roo's for the freezer on small scale. I personally don't use my older hens as I've never cared for the more gamey flavor and stringiness they tend to have, even with slow cooking...my grandma never liked using the older hens either....so re-homing them is a good option for me and prevents wasting animals. I don't think I could become a breeder who culls chicks regularly to get breed standard...but I am thankful for those who do so I can buy quality birds/hatching eggs.

As to culling the sick birds, I've seen the ax method (grandparents chicken farm), and that is very, very messy, and the bird is very active (before and after), so I don't do that, especially not with the suburban rats I'd invite with the blood and feather trail...hard enough to keep them at bay as it is. Likewise, I don't like bleeding them out with a culling cone and slit to the throat (daughter's method when we did it). Instead for sick birds I prefer the quiet, bloodless method of dry ice, that I can do on my own. I use a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, about 1/2 pound of dry ice from the local grocery store (about $1.50 here), put ice at bottom of bucket, styrofoam insert (or whatever you have) to keep bird off dry ice (last kindness), poor a cup of hot water in, add bird, place lid, wait 20 seconds and bird has blissfully left this planet with no mess. It is the method vet's advise for home euthanasia as there is no pain to the animal...as soon as they gulp in, they are gone, only about 20 seconds of muscular flapping contained in the bucket.

@A6chickenhome I'm curious what breed you are using as well...I'm looking for the good laying hens, meaty males that come to table sooner than later (to avoid a lot of crowing).

@bumpercarr Yup...I recognize that hawk...looks like a Cooper's Hawk (tail feathers don't look square to be a Sharp-Shinned and it looks bigger than that)...that's the hawk type that got my banty. They leave the big birds alone, but those poor banties and chicks. I've had Cooper's sit on the fence post of my baby run trying to figure a way to open the packaging (aka hawk netting and chicken wire) to get at the little chicken nuggets....momma screaming away. I've had to work hard to discourage them. The Red Tail seem to leave me alone...I think we are city enough that they have easier picking out in the open farms...I've only lost one large hen to a Red Tail over the years.

@bumpercarr GREAT photo of your handsome rooster (and pretty child)....10 lbs...that is a hefty boy. I haven't looked into Brahmas yet...they eat quite a bit, per you, how do they lay.... okay? Bet the meat size is excellent. Why did you choose them as your go-to breed?

Right now, I am becoming impressed with my Rhodebars. The hens have begun to lay, nearly an egg a day, still smaller pullet size shell, but large yolk. The Rhodebar rooster was a very nice size at 16 weeks, enough to get a small meal...by 20 to 22 weeks (optimum harvesting time, but grand baby came before harvest time did) he would have been really good in size. Nice thing about Rhodebars, you can sex at hatch, another added benefit....and being a desired breed...can be placed with buyers. Before I go with Rhodebars as my potential "perfect" breed for great layer/good meaty roo, I'm waiting for final outcome on the Buckeyes. The hens have not started laying yet, but they are a few weeks behind in hatch date than the Rhodebars. The Buckeye roosters were very sweet, and came to a really good size early too...before they crowed...(an added benefit since I've got so much encroachment around, and while legal for me, I don't want to push my luck with the suburbanite neighbors...remember, trying to avoid the 11 o'clock news if I can help it.)

Good discussions everyone.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Blooie]

Lady of McCamley, is the dry ice method just used for sick birds, or can it be done for meat birds as well?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Lady of McCamley, is the dry ice method just used for sick birds, or can it be done for meat birds as well?

I personally have not used it with meat birds, however, there is nothing toxic in it...just CO2...so you could eat the bird. You would have to drain the blood, which could be done in the kitchen, and go through the balance of the cleaning/skinning.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Blooie]

nk

I personally have not used it with meat birds, however, there is nothing toxic in it...just CO2...so you could eat the bird. You would have to drain the blood, which could be done in the kitchen, and go through the balance of the cleaning/skinning.

Lady of McCamley

Thank you so much. That's what it seemed like to me, but I wasn't sure since you had specified the method for sick birds. I'm definitely filing this away for later!

 

[bumpercarr]

Quote:
I thought it was a Cooper's Hawk as well, but it was awfully small (I had a Cooper's nest here a few years ago). I'm guessing Sharp Shinned, but agree with the square feathers....but it was awfully small for a Cooper's....maybe an immature male? Red Tails hang around on occasion, but I don't think birds are their preferred meal (although I suppose that they will eat anything if they are hungry enough). We just shook our pecans so there are dove everywhere cleaning up the leftovers....hence the hawk hanging out and getting a dove. I don't use netting, I've never had a problem with any of the hawks taking my adults....just the chicken nuggets so I keep them safe until they are big enough and smart enough to stay safe.

The child is my grand-niece, she was visiting for Christmas and just LOVES my chickens. She keeps trying to talk her parents into letting her have a couple. As far as Brahmas go, I go through about 3 lbs of feed per bird per month. That doesn't sound like a lot, but I don't have very much waste. I usually finish out a bag of feed in about 3 1/2 weeks for the 20 that I've kept through the winter (and they get treats of sunflower seeds every morning). The are slow growers and very difficult to sex until they are about 4-6 weeks old. If you have a bunch to compare to each other you can do it a 4 weeks (maybe) and if you don't...well, 6 weeks. I don't ever butcher any of mine as early as 20 weeks, so I'm not sure what kind of meal they would be at that age. I know some folks that do, but most wait to 24-26 weeks or even longer. Depends on how much meat you want. A year old cock bird will give me 4 meals, about 5 pounds of meat and I'm only taking the breast and legs. I suspect that at 24-26 weeks I'd get a meal for 4. When I pick them up at six months they seem to weigh about the same as an adult rock. They mature slowly, so generally don't start crowing (and it is pretty pitiful when they start) until they are about 7-8 months old. The pullets lay about 4-5 eggs a week, usually lay for 2-3 days and then take a day off. They will lay on the low end during the winter without artificial lights. They also generally lay off a bit in the summer. Spring and fall are their best laying times. The reason that I chose them is because of their laid back personalities. They are very docile, difficult to fluster and tend to be gentle with children and each other. I have 5 cockerels/cock birds right now and they generally get along very well. I was also looking for a dual purpose bird that would still taste good after they are a year old, and they do.

That is about it I guess about the Brahmas, feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. I'm off to the Caribbean tomorrow, I'll see you guys in a few weeks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I thought it was a Cooper's Hawk as well, but it was awfully small (I had a Cooper's nest here a few years ago). I'm guessing Sharp Shinned, but agree with the square feathers....but it was awfully small for a Cooper's....maybe an immature male? Red Tails hang around on occasion, but I don't think birds are their preferred meal (although I suppose that they will eat anything if they are hungry enough). We just shook our pecans so there are dove everywhere cleaning up the leftovers....hence the hawk hanging out and getting a dove. I don't use netting, I've never had a problem with any of the hawks taking my adults....just the chicken nuggets so I keep them safe until they are big enough and smart enough to stay safe.

The child is my grand-niece, she was visiting for Christmas and just LOVES my chickens. She keeps trying to talk her parents into letting her have a couple. As far as Brahmas go, I go through about 3 lbs of feed per bird per month. That doesn't sound like a lot, but I don't have very much waste. I usually finish out a bag of feed in about 3 1/2 weeks for the 20 that I've kept through the winter (and they get treats of sunflower seeds every morning). The are slow growers and very difficult to sex until they are about 4-6 weeks old. If you have a bunch to compare to each other you can do it a 4 weeks (maybe) and if you don't...well, 6 weeks. I don't ever butcher any of mine as early as 20 weeks, so I'm not sure what kind of meal they would be at that age. I know some folks that do, but most wait to 24-26 weeks or even longer. Depends on how much meat you want. A year old cock bird will give me 4 meals, about 5 pounds of meat and I'm only taking the breast and legs. I suspect that at 24-26 weeks I'd get a meal for 4. When I pick them up at six months they seem to weigh about the same as an adult rock. They mature slowly, so generally don't start crowing (and it is pretty pitiful when they start) until they are about 7-8 months old. The pullets lay about 4-5 eggs a week, usually lay for 2-3 days and then take a day off. They will lay on the low end during the winter without artificial lights. They also generally lay off a bit in the summer. Spring and fall are their best laying times. The reason that I chose them is because of their laid back personalities. They are very docile, difficult to fluster and tend to be gentle with children and each other. I have 5 cockerels/cock birds right now and they generally get along very well. I was also looking for a dual purpose bird that would still taste good after they are a year old, and they do.

That is about it I guess about the Brahmas, feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. I'm off to the Caribbean tomorrow, I'll see you guys in a few weeks!

Thanks for the Brahma info, I will keep that breed in mind for future use.

Wow...the Caribbean...have a GREAT time. Soak up some sunshine and warmth for me
Lady of McCamley

 

[A6chickenhome]

...

@vpatt
  I personally don't enjoy culling, (when my daughter and I could do it together)...but I've grown up in a farm family, so it is part of the life cycle...remember, that hen isn't thinking twice about killing that mouse, nor the hawk the hen...it helps a little to keep it in their perspective. Also, like you, I have one family member who can't eat the processed meat in the grocery stores, and organic, non-treated chicken is expensive and hard to find (if you don't want the sugar additives). I am trying to use my roosters when I can, then find the perfect breed to produce good layers and meaty roo's for the freezer on small scale. I personally don't use my older hens as I've never cared for the more gamey flavor and stringiness they tend to have, even with slow cooking...my grandma never liked using the older hens either....so re-homing them is a good option for me and prevents wasting animals. I don't think I could become a breeder who culls chicks regularly to get breed standard...but I am thankful for those who do so I can buy quality birds/hatching eggs.  

As to culling the sick birds, I've seen the ax method (grandparents chicken farm), and that is very, very messy, and the bird is very active (before and after), so I don't do that, especially not with the suburban rats I'd invite with the blood and feather trail...hard enough to keep them at bay as it is. Likewise, I don't like bleeding them out with a culling cone and slit to the throat (daughter's method when we did it). Instead for sick birds I prefer the quiet, bloodless method of dry ice, that I can do on my own. I use a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, about 1/2 pound of dry ice from the local grocery store (about $1.50 here), put ice at bottom of bucket, styrofoam insert (or whatever you have) to keep bird off dry ice (last kindness), poor a cup of hot water in, add bird, place lid, wait 20 seconds and bird has blissfully left this planet with no mess. It is the method vet's advise for home euthanasia as there is no pain to the animal...as soon as they gulp in, they are gone, only about 20 seconds of muscular flapping contained in the bucket. 

@A6chickenhome


   I'm curious what breed you are using as well...I'm looking for the good laying hens, meaty males that come to table sooner than later (to avoid a lot of crowing).

@bumpercarr
 Yup...I recognize that hawk...looks like a Cooper's Hawk (tail feathers don't look square to be a Sharp-Shinned and it looks bigger than that)...that's the hawk type that got my banty. They leave the big birds alone, but those poor banties and chicks. I've had Cooper's sit on the fence post of my baby run trying to figure a way to open the packaging (aka hawk netting and chicken wire) to get at the little chicken nuggets....momma screaming away. I've had to work hard to discourage them. The Red Tail seem to leave me alone...I think we are city enough that they have easier picking out in the open farms...I've only lost one large hen to a Red Tail over the years.

@bumpercarr
  GREAT photo of your handsome rooster (and pretty child)....10 lbs...that is a hefty boy. I haven't looked into Brahmas yet...they eat quite a bit, per you, how do they lay.... okay? Bet the meat size is excellent. Why did you choose them as your go-to breed?

Right now, I am becoming impressed with my Rhodebars. The hens have begun to lay, nearly an egg a day, still smaller pullet size shell, but large yolk. The Rhodebar rooster was a very nice size at 16 weeks, enough to get a small meal...by 20 to 22 weeks (optimum harvesting time, but grand baby came before harvest time did) he would have been really good in size. Nice thing about Rhodebars, you can sex at hatch, another added benefit....and being a desired breed...can be placed with buyers. Before I go with Rhodebars as my potential "perfect" breed for great layer/good meaty roo,  I'm waiting for final outcome on the Buckeyes. The hens have not started laying yet, but they are a few weeks behind in hatch date than the Rhodebars. The Buckeye roosters were very sweet, and came to a really good size early too...before they crowed...(an added benefit since I've got so much encroachment around, and while legal for me, I don't want to push my luck with the suburbanite neighbors...remember, trying to avoid the 11 o'clock news if I can help it.)

Good discussions everyone.
Lady of McCamley
[/quote

@ Lady of McCamley and Bumpercarr,
Wow really great to know there is another method! I've never heard of the dry ice method and that sounds about right for me. The hens I have now are the Austrolorp and they have lived up to their egg laying rep. Each hen usually lays five to six eggs a week, some of them have given me seven in a week. I wouldn't breed all of them because a few are small. I haven't tasted the meat yet though. At what age have you found the meat start to get tough?

In the spring I plan on starting a flock of the Belgium Malines. They are know to be fair layers and are ready to butcher by six months. After that I'm gonna get some Bielefelder chicks, which are also dual purpose and an auto sexing breed. I will always have the Austrolorp because they really are fantastic egg layers and haven't slowed down at all with the cold wheather!

 

[ochochicas]

Just a note on the dry ice...the chickens don't fall asleep with it, they actually suffocate as they run out of Oxygen to breathe. It is not as "humane" as decapitation. Everyone has their own preferred method, but those who prefer not to do it themselves are better off finding someone else to do the deed. I still cry when I walk past the spot in the yard where our rooster is buried. Fortunately I've found someone that will take all my extra cockerels, but the sick ones still have be dealt with,