Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Quote:
I am certainly not the most experienced on this thread but certainly NO ONE would have recommended letting a "red sex link" hatch out a bunch of chicks but I did and she's still going strong at 9 and a half weeks. At this point the chicks are as big or even bigger than her and she's still fiercely defending them!!
tongue.png



Essentially the Red Sex Link hens have been bred to be little egg laying machines. Machines don't take time off to be broody and raise babies. Some modern breeds or hybrids have had most of their broody instincts bred out of them.

Being raised by a hen, no matter the breed, increases the odds that she will brood and raise chicks successfully.

Hope this helps.
 
Quote:
I am certainly not the most experienced on this thread but certainly NO ONE would have recommended letting a "red sex link" hatch out a bunch of chicks but I did and she's still going strong at 9 and a half weeks. At this point the chicks are as big or even bigger than her and she's still fiercely defending them!!
tongue.png



Sex link birds don't normally go broody. They have been bred to be "laying machines" and as such, have lost many of the natural instincts that the "heritage" breeds still have on board. One of my black sex link birds, for example, never misses a day - even for moulting. If you check ANY source for breeds likely to go broody, sex links are never on it. However, my girl DID go broody and has been a superb mom. We are coming up on 10 weeks and she's still dragging her 3 chicks around with her!!
 
My mamma JB seems to be doing better with only one chick...sad though that is! I have infected my students with chickenlove. One of them is asking her mom for my baby JB chick for her birthday!! Ha ha!!
 
Look what I found in a thread I spent an hour digging through:

Quote:
That was posted on October 13th, so if my math is right, they should hatch....TODAY! I knew I posted about it somewhere!
roll.png


EDIT: I went out after this post to see if there was any action, and......

94714_baby.jpg
 
Last edited:
Quote:
All of the 3 raised by my hard working hatchery bred red sex link broody mama appear to by boys!!!!! Total bummer! (I haven't completely lost all hope on the frizzle but the comb and wattles are pretty darn red for such a young girl ....
roll.png
)

3 Silkie eggs in the incubator. Maybe one of those will hatch and be a future broody mama????
fl.gif
 
Quote:
This is cool!
thumbsup.gif


X2!!!

Even funnier, at Parent Conferences tonight one of the mothers of a student asked if I had any chickens for sale!! And a student brought me a dozen green eggs from his chickens! Spreading the chicken love one high school at a time
gig.gif
 

Similar threads

J
Broody hen help!
Replies
2
Views
496
LaurenRitz
LaurenRitz
Grind Hard Farm
    • Like
    • Love
First Time Incubating eggs
2 3 4
Replies
32
Views
1K
Silkiebegins
Silkiebegins
J
    • Like
    • Love
Broody hen + hatching experience last year
Replies
1
Views
620
jessejeanne
J
A
CAN YOU HATCH THE SMALL EGGS WHEN A HEN STARTS LAYING
Replies
5
Views
535
Alexxxdimmm
A
C
Two broody heans on same nest and Danger to hatching chicks. Need advice today
Replies
4
Views
759
ChicksbyGrace
C

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom