Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[5 Acre Rooster]

because mutts rule

BYM, mutts, hybrid, what ever you can them they tend to be the hardiest and normally for me the best layers. Frowned upon by many but loved by more. In the back yard flock I think they are the work horses. The pures are the show ponies. I have often thought about getting my BYM out and staying with my pure breeds, but I would probably go bust on eggs. So I think I will always have at least 1/2 breed birds for working and pure as breeding for selling chicks. I will cater to the people that think pure is best, and secretly sell them mutt table eggs, when their hens lay less than they hope. And I need a couple pure breeds for sex links anyway.
Until someone said "That's a new pure breed" everything was once a mutt.

 

[winteree]

BYM, mutts, hybrid, what ever you can them they tend to be the hardiest and normally for me the best layers. Frowned upon by many but loved by more. In the back yard flock I think they are the work horses. The pures are the show ponies. I have often thought about getting my BYM out and staying with my pure breeds, but I would probably go bust on eggs. So I think I will always have at least 1/2 breed birds for working and pure as breeding for selling chicks. I will cater to the people that think pure is best, and secretly sell them mutt table eggs, when their hens lay less than they hope. And I need a couple pure breeds for sex links anyway.
Until someone said "That's a new pure breed" everything was once a mutt.

yep so true

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
HHHUUUUHHHHHHH??? How do you keep from rolling over and crushing it while you're asleep? (And a whole range of other practical questions!!)

 

[Johnn]

Still don't know why one of the chicks has bald patches

 

[heatherschicks]

This is one of my broody hens.  I placed 8 eggs under her.  I call her the Queen of Mean (Leona Helmsley).  I talked about her on another thread and this is how I described her.


It's the start of "broody season" and I have the Queen of Mean (Hen Leona Helmsley) who has decided to go broody. I love her to death but she is the meanest chicken that I have ever seen on the face of this planet.  She is not friendly at all.  She is usually off to herself and has no friends.  I try not to have any eye contact with her when I go into the chicken yard for fear of turning into a pillar of salt.  I hate to see when she goes broody because I know what I am faced with.  I have to dress in complete armor when I open her brooder to give her fresh food and water and to tidy up the place.  I have to wear a helmet, steel gloves, bullet proof vest and goggles.  As soon as she hears the latch unlatch, she gets in position and then attacks.     I have no idea how I became so fortunate to have been bleesed with this little gem but something out there in the universe has played a dirty trick on me and now I have to live with it for eternity.    And to top it all off, she tends to go broody at least 3 times a year. 


Just a warning, if you all don't hear from me in awhile, please send out the armed forces and tell them to look for me in the chicken yard at Brooder Apartment #3.  That is her address for the next couple of months.  I'm sure she will be responsible for whatever happens to me.

this was the funniest thing i have ever read thanks so much for sharing hahaha

 

[saltandpepper2]

Ok, so, I candled the eggs under my broody, and six I can clearly see veins, and a dark object inside ( the eggs are 2 weeks old) But one was really light, except for this darkish ring around it, and something foggy in the very back. Is it a dud, or should I just leave it, and see what happens?

 

[heatherschicks]

I have a rooster who takes good care of his ladys and usually is the nicest thing you would ever encounter the most he does is dance around when you bother his favorite girl well i just had a hen go broody yesterday and today i noticed him being a little protective of her mind you this is not his favorite girl either but he wont let the other girls by her and when im in or near the hen house he runs to her side is this normal behavior for roos when one of thier girls are sitting

 

[fisherlady]

I have a rooster who takes good care of his ladys and usually is the nicest thing you would ever encounter the most he does is dance around when you bother his favorite girl well i just had a hen go broody yesterday and today i noticed him being a little protective of her mind you this is not his favorite girl either but he wont let the other girls by her and when im in or near the hen house he runs to her side is this normal behavior for roos when one of thier girls are sitting

It isn't unusual... some roosters are more protective of broodies than others. It seems some are just more sympathetic to their hen's condition!

 

[fisherlady]

Ok, so, I candled the eggs under my broody, and six I can clearly see veins, and a dark object inside ( the eggs are 2 weeks old) But one was really light, except for this darkish ring around it, and something foggy in the very back. Is it a dud, or should I just leave it, and see what happens?

There is a thread on here which has pictures for different stages of development... I don't have it bookmarked, but I'm sure if you use the search for 'egg candling pictures' you should find a few threads which show examples.
From my limited experience it does sound like a dud, but different color eggs look different and some just don't develop quite the same.

 

[heatherschicks]

Thanks i guess the other girls and i are just going to have to put up with it than :-\