Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[vpatt]

Thanks rebrascora and LofMc! I had decided to begin closing Olivia in her nest except for an hour each day and I was feeling guilty for being 'mean'. She seems to get confused about which nest to return to and yesterday I had to wrestle her off Jessica's eggs! I was thinking she didn't have this problem before...I have added nests since then so there were not as many choices before. I will close the other nests when she is out, too. Olivia just received 12 eggs in the mail yesterday.

Jessica does not seem to have such issues and always returns to her five eggs.

Ebony is finally bringing her five babies outside...the little cuties. I hope to get more pics soon.

 

[ShinShien]

Do I need to cull the crested cream legbar chicks that are not showing a crest? Is that a genetic flaw?

 

[Pyxis]

Do I need to cull the crested cream legbar chicks that are not showing a crest? Is that a genetic flaw?

Technically you should if you're breeding them to the proposed standard. They should all be crested. But, if you're just breeding them for your own purposes, then it doesn't matter so much

 

[ShinShien]

Technically you should if you're breeding them to the proposed standard. They should all be crested. But, if you're just breeding them for your own purposes, then it doesn't matter so much

I'd like them to be close to standard, but i don't think I have the heart to cull the cute little things.


Don't see a crest on him, I don't think.


I think she has one, though.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'd like them to be close to standard, but i don't think I have the heart to cull the cute little things.


Don't see a crest on him, I don't think.


I think she has one, though.

Remember culling doesn't mean just killing, in breeder terms it simply means removing them from the breeding system. You can sell them as non-crested Legbars making sure the people who buy know they are sub-standard. Breeders do that all the time with non-show quality stock.

Or keep them separate from your breeding stock so that you know which eggs to gather for future generations.


Most breeders do get the sub-standard stock off site because you'd soon run out of room if you didn't.

LofMc

 

[ShinShien]

Remember culling doesn't mean just killing, in breeder terms it simply means removing them from the breeding system. You can sell them as non-crested Legbars making sure the people who buy know they are sub-standard. Breeders do that all the time with non-show quality stock.

Or keep them separate from your breeding stock so that you know which eggs to gather for future generations.


Most breeders do get the sub-standard stock off site because you'd soon run out of room if you didn't.

LofMc

Yeah, I have a small area. 30 chickens is enough for it. How much would a non-crested cream legbar be worth? It's not standard, so not full-price.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The simplest option is to let her go broody in one of the main nest boxes... ie wait until she is committed to brooding and has been setting day and night for a couple of days, then remove the eggs she has and replace with the eggs you want to hatch. Place a removable board across the front of that nest box, so that other hens cannot get in to disturb her (it doesn't have to be the full size of the opening but cover most of it) and remove it once a day for her to come out to eat and poop etc. Then you can supervise her broody breaks and ensure she goes back to the right nest by removing all eggs from the other nest boxes so that she choses the box which has eggs in... hers. It really is very simple. She gets to brood where she wants, doesn't get disturbed by the other birds climbing on top of her to lay which risks the eggs getting broken and you have peace of mind that she is not wandering off to another nest and abandoning her eggs whilst you are not there. I have 2 broodies and this works absolutely fine. They know when I remove the board that it is time to get off and do what is necessary and even if I can't make it the same time every day, they hold until I remove the board and the increased light stimulates them to get off and go.

I keep posting this method as so many people seem to have the same problem, but no one seems to comprehend just how easy it is and how well it works. If you have a freestanding nest box, just put a cardboard box over it with a few holes punched in it. Broody hens like to be in the dark and undisturbed, so it is much kinder to do this than to allow other hens to climb all over her nest or move her to somewhere that she doesn't feel safe.

If you must move them, make the new nest really dark and she will most likely settle very quickly. Once she settles and feels the eggs under her, she will stop panicking and click back into broody mode.

I do like rebrascora does.... I partition off nests of broodies who don't want to leave their chosen spot. Many of my hens move with little fuss, but once in a while I get ones which just don't deal with it. Right now I have one box (about 15" off of floor level) which we created an extension for the front of. We call it the 'veranda'. It is against a wall, so one side is blocked by that, and we placed an upright board at the end and the top is covered by a pre-existing roost/ramp board. This has created a nice dark box with a shadowed veranda. It is very inviting for broodies and has often been the chosen box for new broodies. The way it is set up makes it simple to block off. DH made a frame out of scrap wood the size of the opening and covered it with chicken wire, a small cup hook placed to either side of the opening allows us to place the frame in the opening and then just run a bungee cord from cup hook to cup hook to anchor it in place.
The veranda allows us to place a small chick waterer and some peep seed in a dish near by so when hatch happens the chicks can run around safely on the veranda while waiting for later eggs to hatch. Since we avoid staggered hatches by placing all hatching eggs at the same time it is rarely more than 24 hours before all are hatched and once the broody has chicks she is easy to move to a floor location we set up for broodies.

Anyone should be able to create a simple picture frame from scrap wood and cover it with chicken wire and then do the cup hooks and bungee thing to keep it in place. This blocks off the nest but allows the broody to watch coop activity if she wants and it allows good air flow even in the warmest months.

I wholeheartedly concur with these two that if you have the room to designate a main nest box, partitioning is a great system for isolating hens where they are at. Isolation is the key as it really improves overall success in hatching. Doing so in the main coop really saves extra work on your part (ETA or at least coop space...you do have to let them in/out once a day). Many people fear doing so as it seems cruel to "lock" a hen inside, but she isn't moving off the nest and likes it dark, needing to get up only once a day to eat/drink/poo.

The only thing left to consider is what to do when the chicks hatch and how the chicks will do in the flock. A simple solution, and safest for chicks, is to move momma and chicks to a grow out area, especially if you have predator problems such as hawks (something I struggle with). Hens easily move once their chicks are hatched, to pretty much any area you locate them to.

I also use banties for my main broodies, who get no respect in the flock and would get hazed every time they were reintroduced back (that was a lot of hazing as they were brooding 3 to 4 times a year), for me it was simply easiest to create a broody hutch and grow out run so that my broodies live, brood, and grow out chicks safely in one place. I only move chicks when they are old enough to join the flock as pullets, and less tempting for hawks.

But if I had large fowl girls brooding, and plentiful barnyard eggs (rather than expensive purchased breeder eggs), and plenty of nest boxes, I would consider leaving them in the main coops with partitions for brooding isolation, then letting the chicks integrate into the flock and let nature take its course (knowing I could lose a chick or two here or there).

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yeah, I have a small area. 30 chickens is enough for it. How much would a non-crested cream legbar be worth? It's not standard, so not full-price.

Crested Creambars go for a pretty good price here, so I would guess about half price...their attraction is the blue eggs for the girls and that they can be part of an Olive Egger program, and for that you don't need standards.

LofMc

 

[bumpercarr]

Yeah, I have a small area. 30 chickens is enough for it. How much would a non-crested cream legbar be worth? It's not standard, so not full-price.

Most pullets that are just for laying purposes I sell for $10 (4 months old) or $20 (already laying). But remember, it is all based on what the market will bear. There isn't much of a market around here for my Brahmas, people want heavy layers and Brahmas only lay 4-5 eggs a week. I would guess since they lay colored eggs, you could get more for them, probably in $30 range. I don't give my cockerels away as some folks do. I sell them for $10 if I can, if I can't then they have to go into the freezer. Fortunately, Brahma cockerels get along fine, so I can keep them all in a bachelor pad until they are gone. I personally try to clear out the bachelor pad in the fall/winter so that I have room in the spring for the babies. Watch out for the guys that will offer to take your cockerels off of your hands for free...they are turning around and selling them for meat. That's why I charge for my cockerels, I don't mind them being used for meat but I do mind someone else "taking them off my hands" and then making money off of them.

Brahma breeding trios go for $250-$300, pairs $200, pullets $60-$100, cockerels

 

[Angie16hearts]

So to my suprise my cochin has decided as of today to go broody. She wasn't moving out of nest and digging with her beak. I thought what the heck I'll see what she does if I out some of her and milles eggs in front of her. She very nicely accepted all 5 eggs and is happy as a clam! I have fertile eggs in room. I'll give her a day or two then switch them out. That makes a broody Australorp on12 eggs now and10 in the incubator . If she follows through and I feel she will we will have two hatches in one week .

I'm excited but preparing for this lovely event in a couple weeks. Incubator goes in lock down wed .
How many eggs can a frizzle cochin bantam sit on ?
Edited : both my bantams are broody!!

I gave my bearded mille Fluer d'uccle 5 eggs . And like I said earlier my frizzle cochin 5 eggs.
I didn't realize they were in process cause I have been tending to my standard hen who went broody Monday.
Will my bantams fight now? And is it ok if they sit on the wrong clutch?
I won't put the good eggs in intel I know they are staying put! So far so good! Any tips with the bantams would be great! I'm going to have chicks every where !