Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[countrygirl5]

I know this may sound like a "dumb" question to most of you, but I'm new to chicken raising.

What is a bantam?

And can I get suggestions on the best place to order eggs? (I live in NE Iowa) I want a few silkies and a few brahmas for sitting. I'm not sure how well my orp's will do this year, they're kind of off and on about being broody. Will try to get them to set around March 17th, but would love to add the silkies and brahmas under them for next year's sitting.

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I haven't been on this thread in a while. I am glad to see it is still going. My broodies are starting. So far, only 1 broody. She hatched out 2 chicks. The third chick didn't make it. My broodies always go in the same order. Wilma first, next will be Betty, so on. I should have 12-14 broods this year. I hope my dining room is big enough. Here is a pic of Wilma and her 2 babies. Unfortunately, one of the chicks has the wrong daddy, so not a pure. The other chick is pure silkie.

They are adorable, I have some mixed chickens and they are very pretty. when they hatch and I look at them and think wow where did this color come from. It makes for some interesting looks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know this may sound like a "dumb" question to most of you, but I'm new to chicken raising.

What is a bantam?

And can I get suggestions on the best place to order eggs? (I live in NE Iowa) I want a few silkies and a few brahmas for sitting. I'm not sure how well my orp's will do this year, they're kind of off and on about being broody. Will try to get them to set around March 17th, but would love to add the silkies and brahmas under them for next year's sitting.

Thanks!

A bantam is a small version of a big chicken, like Brahmas come in bantam and Large size same with RIR's and alot of other breeds. Some bantams are feather legged some smooth. Bantams are great broodys also Silkies. so you can't go wrong with either. My cochin bantams lay small eggs but what the heck they taste as good as the big ones.

 

[stonykill]

I haven't been on this thread in a while. I am glad to see it is still going. My broodies are starting. So far, only 1 broody. She hatched out 2 chicks. The third chick didn't make it. My broodies always go in the same order. Wilma first, next will be Betty, so on. I should have 12-14 broods this year. I hope my dining room is big enough. Here is a pic of Wilma and her 2 babies. Unfortunately, one of the chicks has the wrong daddy, so not a pure. The other chick is pure silkie.

too cute! Is the one with the wrong daddy the one with the attitude standing tall? That has just GOT to be a rooster. Look at the attitude in his face!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wanted to share! I have another broody. I put 10 eggs under her tonight! My 2nd broody just hatched her chicks last Wednesday! I wasn't expecting another broody this quick!

I think I am going to have to buy another dog crate! My 1st hatch is still using the 1st dog crate they are 7 weeks old. This will by my 3rd one.

I hope that she can handle the 10 I put under her. She is an EE.

Sounds like the 7 week olds should graduate. and congrats on the chicks and broodys. 10 under an EE you'll just have to keep an eye on her to make sure she can keep them all warm enough.

 

[Skittlez]

too cute! Is the one with the wrong daddy the one with the attitude standing tall? That has just GOT to be a rooster. Look at the attitude in his face!

They are adorable, I have some mixed chickens and they are very pretty. when they hatch and I look at them and think wow where did this color come from. It makes for some interesting looks.

Thanks! I have a whole coop of mutt roos and they all have every color under the sun. Hopeing for better outcome this year.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thats alot of eggs for a bantam, hope she does well, let us know and pics too please.

Have one crossbred bantam sitting on 4 black sex link X eggs two dark cornish X two production red X and two other eggs
total 10 eggs!

 

[perchie.girl]

There are two types of bantams. The first type is a natural bantam or a chicken that has no Large fowl versions of itself. They are under a certain weight which I dont remember exactly but I suspect its under three pounds.... But a couple of examples of natural bantams are Silkeys, and Seabrights, Then there are Bantams that have been bred down from Large fowl breeds. There are quite a few of those.

deb

I know this may sound like a "dumb" question to most of you, but I'm new to chicken raising.

What is a bantam?

And can I get suggestions on the best place to order eggs? (I live in NE Iowa) I want a few silkies and a few brahmas for sitting. I'm not sure how well my orp's will do this year, they're kind of off and on about being broody. Will try to get them to set around March 17th, but would love to add the silkies and brahmas under them for next year's sitting.

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all... this would seem to the thread to share my story... I'm super excited because we are expecting our first chicks sometime soon from our first broody hen. First, our little red bantam disappeared from our coop and run. She would escape quite frequently, but I didn't think anything about it and would just put her back in when we went out into the yard. We let the chickens free range for a few hours every day anyway. So then she disappeared completely and we didn't see her for several days. At about the same time, a random large dog wandered through our yard. I was really upset and really assumed the worst. Then one day, she just reappeared in the coop, eating voraciously. Then she disappeared again for a few days. THEN I knew! She was sitting on eggs somewhere. It took a few days to find her, but when we did, she was sitting on 21 eggs!!! 21!! She had been laying for quite some time before she started sitting. And it was really, really cold out. She found a little window well under our porch where she was sitting. Anyway... I waited until night, took a small box and put her in it. Gathered her eggs and moved her and her eggs to a large dog crate in my basement. I candled the eggs and tossed 7 clear eggs. I know most of the other eggs had something in them, some were obviously alive and well and a few I wasn't entirely sure about. The eggs now look pretty dark all the way through. Can't wait to see them when they hatch!!

How exciting please let us know when they hatch and be sure to post pics, we love to see pics.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Someone is going to have to advise you on what is the best way right after hatch or after they dry since i have never done this... HELP!!

Okay I'll wait until the rest hatch and then move them out with her. Do I move them as soon as they hatch or wait for them to dry off completely? I'll put the lamp in the middle. Between her & the food. I suppose I won't need it at 95F, I do have a dimmer for it. If I need to turn it on I can and it won't be directly over Smokey.