Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chiko]

So my Japanese Bantam hen is broody again. Is it ok to let her hatch out chicks? It's getting chillier now and I don't want anything to happen to her babies.....And I'm in northern Utah so it will be colder...

 

[Miss Lydia]

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she should be able to keep her chicks warm as long as she doesn't have too many and can't cover them all. The chicks hatched by broodys are very much tougher than we give them credit for. Thanks to mama

okay go here and maybe you'll be able to find some. I have bantams but have never tried to send eggs through the mail so your best bet would be here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=36

 

[Chiko]

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she should be able to keep her chicks warm as long as she doesn't have too many and can't cover them all. The chicks hatched by broodys are very much tougher than we give them credit for. Thanks to mama

Thanks! That made my day! Poor little momma always wants to have babies. Does anyone here sell fertile eggs in small Quantities? I want just like 4-5 of the smaller breeds...

 

[stonykill]

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Jessica Beil???

Wait a minute I have it, Jersey Bigfoot?

ahhh, Japanese Bantam? The next post was a good clue....

 

[slurrywidow]

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of course she is going to feed them off the ground, thats where they will be getting most of their food once outside, but she will teach them to eat out of the feeder too. you might put a pie pan under your feeder that way they are learning to eat from something, and helps keep the feed cleaner That doesn't sound good about the confrontation but good of you not to intervene, keep an eye on this because if Mona can't defend her chicks one could get hurt, most of the time it's just a peck if they get to close to another hen, but you need to be ready unless a hen gets to mean, and they can be. All an all everything should work itself out. I have noticed with my flock though that our youngest chick from this years hatch is problby 3 months old and she gets picked on the worst of all, sometimes I feel like going in the coop and spanking them girls, I have gone in and sprayed them with oxine, which I spray them with anyway, but enough is enough, she doesn't show any signs of wounds but I hate to hear her screaming because they won't let her on the roost when we have 3 roosts and none are full of birds. It's hard for me to hear it. everytime she tries to get up on a roost one of the adults will peck her till she has to get down. poor baby. I'd find her a new home but then they'd just start on another.

Oooh, pie pan under the feeder is a great idea! See why I go to you all for help? I have hunch there's a pound of food under all the shavings the way she scratches so a pie pan would be just the thing.
As for defending her chicks, another thing happened today. I opened the door to her crate and the head hen whizzed in and went straight for one of the chicks and pecked it on the head! I yanked her out and closed the door. Letting them all out together in the open is one thing but in that crate there is no where for anyone to go. Not a good situation. As for spanking the mean girls, I know exactly what you mean. Makes me feel sad reading about what they do to your little girl.

I can't stand bullying in any form even when it's from my chickens. Right now I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of a couple because they are just so nasty with the rest of the flock.

 

[slurrywidow]

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All I can say if Congrtulations. and keep us updated

oh by the way is she sitting on eggs?

What is a JB?? All I can think of is Justin Bieber!

Caught me off guard and made me spit out my smoothie!

 

[Jloeffler]

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Wait a minute I have it, Jersey Bigfoot?

ahhh, Japanese Bantam? The next post was a good clue....

Yep, Japanese Bantam, but the guesses were way more fun!!

my DH was reading over my shoulder and said , "why is it a congratulations?" silly man!! She is sitting on and off even after eggs have been laid. There are two bantam Cochin hens in the same pen with a JB (Japanese bantam) roo. I'm thinking of holding a couple of her eggs and marking them and seeing if shell sit on them for any length of time. I'm not out anything if she doesn't.

 

[stonykill]

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ahhh, Japanese Bantam? The next post was a good clue....

Yep, Japanese Bantam, but the guesses were way more fun!!

my DH was reading over my shoulder and said , "why is it a congratulations?" silly man!! She is sitting on and off even after eggs have been laid. There are two bantam Cochin hens in the same pen with a JB (Japanese bantam) roo. I'm thinking of holding a couple of her eggs and marking them and seeing if shell sit on them for any length of time. I'm not out anything if she doesn't.

 

[Jloeffler]

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Yep, Japanese Bantam, but the guesses were way more fun!!

my DH was reading over my shoulder and said , "why is it a congratulations?" silly man!! She is sitting on and off even after eggs have been laid. There are two bantam Cochin hens in the same pen with a JB (Japanese bantam) roo. I'm thinking of holding a couple of her eggs and marking them and seeing if shell sit on them for any length of time. I'm not out anything if she doesn't.

Your reward, Stonykill, is any chicks she hatches!!

 

[stonykill]

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Your reward, Stonykill, is any chicks she hatches!!

lol... Miss Lydia is closer, she can take them

I've got a broody Sumatra on 8 eggs that is going to hatch soon. That will bring the new broody chick total this year to around 30. I'm too tired to do the math right now and get a real number....