Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Betty1]

Also, my black copper maran chicks I hatched last year are 16 weeks old(eggs soon

) and they are MASSIVE!!!They are bigger than both of my pekin cockerels(not a surprise really), both of my cream legbars, and my vorwerk who I've always thought was huge! The thing is, they've been bigger than her since 10 weeks old and they just keep growing! And they run standing up really straight, like those funny ducks. Sometimes, they remind me of a game breed.

 

[fisherlady]

What would a silkie x pekin look like? Or a cream legbar x pekin? would they lay blue eggs still and be auto sexing? first time hatching my own eggs out of my mixed bundle of odd-balls and I'm a bit nervous about whether or not it will work.

You would be better able to get an answer to your questions if you post them here....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/14/breeds-genetics-showing

I know they have a thread specific to sex-linked genetics, they probably have something similar to your questions also.

 

[dretd]

What would a silkie x pekin look like? Or a cream legbar x pekin? would they lay blue eggs still and be auto sexing? first time hatching my own eggs out of my mixed bundle of odd-balls and I'm a bit nervous about whether or not it will work.

Hi Betty1!

You should check out the Cream Legbar hybrid thread--maybe get some good answers there: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/825092/cream-legbar-hybrid-thread

Is the Legbar the roo or the hen? Pekin color will influence whether or not the chicks will be sexlinked (can tell sex at hatch one generation only), and very unlikely to get an autosexing result (breeds true for generations).

 

[Betty1]

The legbar is the hen, the pekin boy is a lavender pekin. Thanks!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

My polish is sitting. But comes off easily and is not nasty like regular broodies are. I hope she eventually goes broody!

 

[LoveChickens123]

what kind of ducks go broody??

and what kind are nice

 

[Aerielle]

I have a first time broody bantam Cochin that is exhibiting some bizarre behavior. Background: I tried to break her for 2 weeks, was unsuccessful. Gave her some eggs, went the full term and they did not hatch. Worried she had been broody so long I gave her two baby chicks at night, she rejected them. Decided to give her another set of fertile eggs, another 21 days later two hatched.

Now is where I'm concerned. After a couple of days she keeps leaving Her broody nest area that I have fenced off (jumping up and flying through the top). She comes back and checks on them periodically but seems to want to be in the run with the flock. I tried to graft them to another hen with chicks and she intervened and attacked the other chicks. She keeps them warm at night because I put them under her. If I didn't she would probably leave them.

Do you think I should let her have the chicks in the run with the flock? Worried that the big girls might hurt the babies, although I do have a caring rooster. Is it because she was on the nest for almost 9 weeks before anything hatched that she is just over it? When I hold the babies (and scold her for leaving them) she will fly up in my lap to watch me hold them. She is motherly to them, but just leaves them quite a bit. Luckily I'm in SoCal and its been a warm winter. They are healthy and becoming rather independent due to the absent mother, they are 10 days old now.

Or I can keep the chicks in their broody run and let her access them when she wants? Any advice would be appreciated! I find myself spending hours checking repeatedly and telling her to go back to her chicks! I force her to get in the broody run and she will do it for about an hour then fly out. She will look at me rather sheepishly as well when this happens.

(I originally did try putting them n a dog crate and she freaked out and kept trying to fly out repeatedly hitting her head on the ceiling. She did the same on the broody run in the in my main run I made, until I took the top off) needless to say its been a process

 

[myby]

Arielle, can you set a brooder for these chicks? It sounds to me that her hormones worn off and she is pretty much done. I have noticed that after week 5 of the chicks hatching the hen leaves them on their own, so 3 weeks of normal hatching time plus 5 will be the 8 of motherhood. Since you say it has being 9 my guess is that she is done.

 

[purplesquirrel]

haha yeh it is weird, she even walks a couple feet away from the nest and egg and still chucks straw on her back. I guess it's just the lingering extincts after laying, bless 'em! x

 

[purplesquirrel]

I'm going to try and incubate some of my hens' eggs for the first time since I raised them from eggs! I have a lovely big handsome black Jersey Giant cockerel, and my 3 hens that are laying are 2 Goldlines (aka warrens) and a buff sussex. Can't wait to see the babies of my all-grown-up babies! A bit nervous and excited about what they'll look like, that's what I love the most.

Will post photos in 3 weeks if anyone's interested in seeing the results