Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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Depends on the size of the broody, full size probably 12 or more, small 8 or less again depending on size of broody and size of eggs.

 

[Lyssa]

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Woot! Too much fun.

 

[Fuffy]

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[Miss Lydia]

Well stony was talking about young roos sounding like kazoos when first starting to crow, well I have a kazoo

 

[featherz]

OMG that's funny! I just put an ad up on CL for two young roos and I said they sounded like a kazoo. They really do!!

Ok, my question, when can I take the chicks away from mom? One group is about 5 weeks old and fully feathered, the other group is about 4 and still has a bit of fuzz. Mom with older chicks still sleeps with them at night, but generally lets them run around without her during the day. Mom #2 is still wandering with her chicks, but she'll run off now and then to do something else leaving them on their own. They've both just started squatting again too - just got rid of my roo so they are doing it for me.

Both sets of chicks sleep with mom at night. Can I remove the chicks now? I need to rehome one group and get the roos out of the other.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I don't see why not, she has taught them about all she can at that age. My one set lost their mom at 4 weeks and have done fine. This is the youngest roo to ever crow, he's 14 weeks. I have mine on CL too but not one bite yet.

 

[stonykill]

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It is too funny to listen to them......

 

[Miss Lydia]

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It is too funny to listen to them......

I have to admit the kazoo is sounding better, really bad a couiple of days ago though..

 

[featherz]

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Mine is only 12 weeks! And I had two start the same day. I wondered what that weird kazoo honking noise was until I figured it out. LOL. I have three known roos with that group and am going to try to rehome two if I can.

 

[Tiss]

First time broody here and I'm freaking out. We're on day 20 now and when I went to take an egg that another hen had laid in the broody's nest today, I accidentally jiggled one of developing eggs. It felt like the chick slid from one end of the egg to the other inside. Is that normal?