Your welcome, keep us posted on their progress, come on fuzzy buttsWell, I went ahead and did it. I tucked 6 eggs under the marans, and gave the little cochin 3. I'm going to keep an eye on them, I wasn't sure if 6 eggs is too many under a hen, especially in cold weather... I'm going to be ready with the brooder on stand-by, but with any luck I can see if one or both mommas are up to the job on their own. I can't wait to see how it goes!! Thanks for the advice!:cd
Hi everyone!
I live in the Rocky Mountains, and currently have 2 broody hens (bantam cochin and cuckoo marans) that I am considering hatching under. I have some questions about when, where, and how to do this. As a quick background I hatched my first 6 eggs in an incubator last spring, and have chickens for about 2 years. The eggs I would be hatching are barnyard mix. I have 16 hens and one rooster, the rooster being a welsummer over an easter egger. He's about 10 months old, and is actively breeding the hens. I check the eggs, and the majority are fertile.
It's been a warm winter for us, but we just hit another cold streak, and the temps get down to 0 at night and up to around 35 during the day. It may be another month or so of this kind of weather. I have a covered run with straw bedding that the chickens hang out in during the day, as well as access to the frozen yard in which they can free range. They do go out to the compost pile to scratch, and usually no chickens hang out in the coop during the day except for the broodies, the hens who are laying, and one little bantam D'Uccle who is just afraid of the world.
I have 6 nesting boxes, and work from home so I can watch them closely. The 2 broody nests are typically only used by the mean little mommies, and they are sitting on the nests all day minus a quick pee break mid-morning. I have 6 ceramic eggs out there due to some egg eater problems last year. These ceramic eggs have been claimed by the broodies. They have both been on the nests for about 2 weeks now. The cochin is only about 10 months old, and this is her first time going broody. The marans has been broody multiple times, including a bout of about 2-3 months of broodiness last summer. I think I can trust her to not leave the eggs.
So my questions are: 1.) Is it too cold still to hatch eggs? 2.) Am I okay just letting the broodies hatch on their current nests? They don't get messed with much during the day, as there is plenty of nesting space, and they are very mean right now. 3.) Is it okay to let the moms raise their babies with the flock? I have a lot of space, no overcrowding problems, and there are places where the hen could take the chicks that are dry and away from the flock during the day.
Thanks for any and all advice. It certainly seems like broody hens are the way to hatch eggs, and I am excited to let some of these chickens fill their urge to be mothers.
YAY!!! I just checked on mama, I heard some peeps, so I peeked under mama and saw an egg mostly zipped, about a half hour later I went to remove the shell and it was crawling all over under mom, definitely a strong chick. I will give her time to adjust and check for more zippers later tonight maybe when its her dinner time. One good advantage of her not leaving the nest ever is that I was feeding and watering her 2-3 times a day so she is plenty used to me messing with her.
Yay!
Not exactly chicken related, but I cannot think of my chicken chores without thinking of my little Sheltie, Scottie.
I sadly lost my devoted little farm companion of 11 years today. He had been a little off for some time, which I had blamed on his hypothroidism, which he was treated for, but had become sick this week and after xray's was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer.
My little friend had faithfully followed me through all my chicken chores, loved riding in the truck to the feed store (always got a treat there), and even herded up a chicken or two a few times for me.
He will be greatly missed. He is buried in my backyard, under his favorite tree, by the chicken coop. Rest in peace my little friend.
Lady of McCamley (and Scottie)
YAY!!! I just checked on mama, I heard some peeps, so I peeked under mama and saw an egg mostly zipped, about a half hour later I went to remove the shell and it was crawling all over under mom, definitely a strong chick. I will give her time to adjust and check for more zippers later tonight maybe when its her dinner time. One good advantage of her not leaving the nest ever is that I was feeding and watering her 2-3 times a day so she is plenty used to me messing with her.
Yay!
e
