Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I'm loving all the pictures!!

 

[Suechick]

A silkie raising meaties...

what will be next?

 

[Fuffy]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

I'm loving all the pictures!!

Me too

Congratulations to you all with all your lovely chickies!!!!

Don't you just LOVE those silkie/silkie crosses? Such good mamma hens!!!!

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:

I figured it was the best way to raise a few meaties and not have to do all the work myself. The idea only came to me because I had read a thread here about someone having a broody hen raise 20 meaties for them a couple years ago, and it turned out great. In fact, they said, I believe, that is how they're going to raise them from now on.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
I absolutely LOVE my 2 little Silkie hens! They're only pet quality (I don't do show quality birds), but they're sweet as can be! In fact, my white hen has to come into the laundry room and get in a cage to lay her eggs. She follows me around the yard when I go out in the morning, and fusses at me to let me know that she needs to lay!

Both hens' top-knots aren't as full as they should be, though, because I had 5 Silkie roos here up until 2 weeks ago and they tormented my 2 Silkie hens. I've since sold 4 of them and things have settled down a lot. They were even tormenting my standard hens and all 5 would try to pile on one hen at the same time!

I checked on Buffy and her babies this morning and they're doing great. 4 of the chicks were out eating and running around, and they seem to find great joy in pulling on her wattles. She's so patient with them; just sits there and waits for them to stop!

 

[willkatdawson]

I've got 9 eggs under my trust broody buff orpington. I've got 4 BO hens and Millie is the only one to ever go broody, but she does go broody just like clock-work every Spring. She won't leave the nest box until she has some chicks under her. Last year I really didn't want any chicks, but I felt so sorry for her after just sitting there for almost 40!!! days, that I bought some day old chicks and placed under her. Boy was she relieved. Were at day 16 today. I did have 10 eggs under her-5 black copper maran eggs and 5 EE eggs. I candled the blue eggs last night and removed one because it wasn't fertile.

this was the 'bad egg'

this is what the other 4 blue eggs looked like last night......only God knows what's going on in those dark brown maran eggs.

here's Millie 'in the zone'

this is Millie's brooding 'closet'. It's inside the coop, so she can see the coming and going of the flock (they free range all day) but she has her privacy. The rest of the time I store supplies in there like DE and my rake.......ect

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Great pics! (Your pics are always great)
Good luck with your hatch

At least if you give the broody the job of being responsible for the future of your flock, they can still have a viable job withing the flock. They aren't just extra mouths to feed with very little egg production

 

[stuckinthecity]

I hope y'all don't mind me posting pics of most of my broodies I've had since raising chickens!

This was my 1st broody I had, I think, up at my grandfathers. She hatched 13 chicks and we didn't really have room for them, so they got the whole barn as a pen!

Here's my second broody. She was a silkie game cross I think. She was my best broody hen by far; she'd take 2 months off and start brooding again. In the time I had her, she took care of an orphan chick (before she was laying), set and hatched 10 eggs/10 chicks, then set again and hatched 3 (out of 4) eggs/3 chicks, and then SET AGAIN and I gave her 5, 1 week old chicks and she raised them up as well. RIP girl.

ETA: Here's the large brood she had.

This is my latest broody. She's at least 2-3 years old. I got her already laying and that was 2 summers ago. She's a small EE and lays perfectly shaped little green eggs. She's head hen in the flock but, not really that mean. She's the most skittish of all my hens as well. Late spring is when she usually sits, sometimes even mid summer.

Here's the 1st time she set when I got her.

And when she hatched those chicks

Then, the second time she went broody and took in chicks

And the 3rd time she's been broody and took in chicks!

 

[willkatdawson]

Quote:
Great pics! (Your pics are always great)
Good luck with your hatch

At least if you give the broody the job of being responsible for the future of your flock, they can still have a viable job withing the flock. They aren't just extra mouths to feed with very little egg production

Thanks for sending good vibes my way! I hope the hatch goes well too. No way to know what's going on in those Maran eggs. Guess I'll just have to wait. It's good for me, I'm not naturally a patient person. Found out each time as fast as I could the sex of our babies. I figured someone's coming to live with you for the next 17 years, might be nice to know who it is. I would love to see some pictures of your cobs. I had a pair of welsh cobs growing up. Best pony/horses in the world. Size of a pony with the brains and attitude of a horse.

 

[Fuffy]

This is Nova, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last week, with the Shetland (Small Hairy)


Joe October 2010 by FuffyKing, on Flickr

And this is Joey (and me) at the end of a schooling session