Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[TeaChick]

Thanks for posting this!!! I expect a jersey I received from another breeder to go broody in the spring (as she went broody for her previous breeder two or three times this year) and I'm hoping that my bantam cochin frizzle will hatch me some more little frizzles.

How many eggs can a Jersey Giant and a banty Cochin handle?

 

[Johnn]

OMG this is so precious!!

here's one I took today

Aww

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Just sending a little update on my broody and her hatch from August. She hatched out five babies and they are now 11 weeks old. She was an excellent mother and kept them really tight to her until yesterday. Yep, they are on their own. They're all in the same flock, but mama roosts up high with the older hens and the babies roost together at night. When they free ranged today, the babies stayed together and mama was off doing her own thing. The baby group of five has one cockerel and four hens, so they have their own little pod.

 

[pmcatnip]

Just sending a little update on my broody and her hatch from August. She hatched out five babies and they are now 11 weeks old. She was an excellent mother and kept them really tight to her until yesterday. Yep, they are on their own. They're all in the same flock, but mama roosts up high with the older hens and the babies roost together at night. When they free ranged today, the babies stayed together and mama was off doing her own thing. The baby group of five has one cockerel and four hens, so they have their own little pod.

I think it's so adorably funny while a teenage cockerel learns how to wear the pants and be a rooster. When ours was that age he would rush in to the rescue whenever we picked up a hen/pullet, and then pull up short, look up at us and get confused what he was supposed to do next.

 

[pmcatnip]

I can just see her thinking like some helicopter moms, "My babies will always need me, no matter how big they get."

 

[TeaChick]

Just sending a little update on my broody and her hatch from August. She hatched out five babies and they are now 11 weeks old. She was an excellent mother and kept them really tight to her until yesterday. Yep, they are on their own. They're all in the same flock, but mama roosts up high with the older hens and the babies roost together at night. When they free ranged today, the babies stayed together and mama was off doing her own thing. The baby group of five has one cockerel and four hens, so they have their own little pod.

Aww!!! That's so cute!!! I like the whole having their own little pod thing. =)

What breed was she? How many eggs did you give her?
Sorry to ask; I'm new and I'm hoping to hatch some in the spring, just need to get some info. I read the page in the Learning Center. I'm wondering about numbers of eggs now. I have a Giant and a Banty that will almost definitely go broody when the weather warms up and I have NO idea how many eggs to have/let each of them sit on.

Anyway, Thanks for sharing your broody update. I really enjoyed it!!!

 

[TeaChick]

I think it's so adorably funny while a teenage cockerel learns how to wear the pants and be a rooster. When ours was that age he would rush in to the rescue whenever we picked up a hen/pullet, and then pull up short, look up at us and get confused what he was supposed to do next.

hehe; too cute!

 

[TeaChick]

I can just see her thinking like some helicopter moms, "My babies will always need me, no matter how big they get."

Beautiful pics; thanks for sharing!!!

 

[chickydee64]

I can just see her thinking like some helicopter moms, "My babies will always need me, no matter how big they get."

What perfect pictures............

I have an old hen that not only keeps hers till they are huge but took on chicks from two other hens this year..
Should have taken a pic.............She is blrw........

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Aww!!!  That's so cute!!!  I like the whole having their own little pod thing. =)

What breed was she?  How many eggs did you give her?
Sorry to ask; I'm new and I'm hoping to hatch some in the spring, just need to get some info.  I read the page in the Learning Center.  I'm wondering about numbers of eggs now.  I have a Giant and a Banty that will almost definitely go broody when the weather warms up and I have NO idea how many eggs to have/let each of them sit on.

Anyway, Thanks for sharing your broody update.  I really enjoyed it!!!

My broody is a 2 1/2 year old buff orpington. I put 8 eggs under her. Our rooster is a New Hampshire and the eggs were from my assorted flock. She started out in the nesting box so when I moved her to a safer spot she had one of the eggs under her wing and it dropped and cracked. I candled at one point and 2 were quitters. So 5 of 8 hatched. They were 2 EE, 2 SLW, and the 1 Buff O is the cockerel. I thought 8 was a good number to start with, but I guess they can handle 12 or so. I plan to buy some more eggs in the Spring and do this again because it was so much fun to candle, wait in anticipation, and then to let mama do all the work and me just sit back and enjoy it.

Here's a pic of them a few weeks ago.