Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

Out of curiosity, what is the largest clutch any of you have had hatch under a silkie? My blue silkie has TEN eggs under her. She started off with three that I marked and she stole an additional six after I had her set up. Chicks are due to hatch Sunday and I'm just wondering if a small hen like her could actually keep that many warm enough.

My silkie hatched 8 large fowl eggs in January 2 years ago, I have never given her more... I think she could get a stone to hatch if I gave it to her though!

I mean I have never given her more than 8 eggs at a time... she broods 4 times a year for us...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi everyone! I dont have chickens yet, but I plan on getting some marans. Heres the thing, I dont want them to go broody. Is there any way to keep them from going broody?

I have 2 breeder quality Black Copper Marans hens that I hatched January 2014, so they are 1 year old...neither has shown any interest or indication of going broody to date, and the breeder has not indicated they are highly prone to do so.

Henderson's Breed Chart indicates Marans can be good brooders depending upon the line. Search for a breeder that does not have broody prone hens or go to a commercial hatchery/feed store to purchase/order....hatchery quality typically are not broody prone as most people buy layers from a hatchery to lay, so the hatchery is selecting for good laying not for brooding.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

yes it is a single chick she had two more chicks to hatch out but after this one hatched she sometime in the night moved the chick to next nest box over and both other chicks died in the shell. I have been checking the chick regularly every few days since it hatched but the chick seems very healthy and active with a health appetite. I'm too used to my grams old hens I guess my grams hens where just weird they never weened a chick earlier then 8 or 9 weeks you could set your watch by it but the fact that she drew blood on her own chick makes me want to send her to freezer camp

I think Rebrascora gave some good thoughts as to the possibility that he may be just clinging so close being a "lonely only" that he's being dense to the point of really frustrating mom.

But I personally would watch her if you use her again just in case. I've had hens fledge and make a real point of it, but never drew blood....but I've never locked them in with a single chick they couldn't escape from...I've always let mom out if she shows she is done with the whole brooding thing and they free range with ability to move away if they want. If she has ability to move away, then I would still be a bit leery if she is drawing blood.

Hopefully you can find some hatch mates for the little guy so that he isn't so desperately lonely.

LofMc

 

[bumpercarr]

yes it is a single chick she had two more chicks to hatch out but after this one hatched she sometime in the night moved the chick to next nest box over and both other chicks died in the shell. I have been checking the chick regularly every few days since it hatched but the chick seems very healthy and active with a health appetite. I'm too used to my grams old hens I guess my grams hens where just weird they never weened a chick earlier then 8 or 9 weeks you could set your watch by it but the fact that she drew blood on her own chick makes me want to send her to freezer camp

X2 what Lady of McC said. Singletons become much more attached to momma and they need space so that she can get away from them. Mine that have had singletons don't seem to mind them roosting with them at night, but really don't like them around much during the day after about 6 weeks. I have a singleton now that I just removed from it's mother to put in a completely different pen with the bachelors....he's 4 months old and is having a bit of a tough time adjusting to being with all of the guys and still calls for his mum.

 

[vpatt]

I got three marans for free last year because they were broody all the time.  Since then, one of them has been broody more often than not, but the other two have never been broody while I've had them.  Part of it is genetics, but I also think the environment plays a bigger part.  My hens free range and are not in the coop or next boxes a lot.  In my opinion, that helps keep them from going broody by keeping them busy doing other things.  

That is an interesting thought about free ranging. I free range my chickens. In 6 months I have had the olive egger and one of the Doms go broody. I have been wondering if these two would go broody again or if this was a one time thing. I did try to break them. The olive egger was too determined for me. The Dom let it go for a month or so and became broody again. I want them to live as naturally as possible so I gave them each four eggs. I cant give them many more or I will have more chickens than I can handle. I had planned for 6-8 and right now I have 15.... so I'm already over populated, lol. But I think if my husband will do the deed for me then I will have free range chicken in the freezer. Not sure I could use the big girls for that....but I am trying to wrap my brain around some of the babies being on the menu. Is six months about the time you would send them to freezers camp? But if I buy eggs I think those chicks would be keepers....to replace some of the older girls. Just trying to figure it all out and have a plan.

 

[vpatt]

I do have a question and I'm not sure if this is the right thread....feel free to direct me to a different thread.
I have read a lot about flock dynamics.....in my very short experience I have already seen the differences when adding new chickens in. I have seen that by using the broodies that new chicks seem to be introduced to the flock with much less drama. Bu what about when you do send some of the chicks to freezer camp? Does their disappearance cause flock issues?
I have to say that I don't see much picking in my flock. There is definitely a pecking order. But no one is hurt or shunned. Basically, they seem content. Well, you know some of them do not really care for the attention of the roo. But that seems to be a minor thing....lol.

 

[fisherlady]

Vpatt, I can't get my phone to copy a link but you should read some of this thread...hit the first 10 pages for sure and see if it helps.

Search for ' processing day support group ' on BYC here....lots of help and support for what you are contemplating.

 

[vpatt]

[/INDENT][/INDENT]

Vpatt, I can't get my phone to copy a link but you should read some of this thread...hit the first 10 pages for sure and see if it helps.

Search for ' processing day support group ' on BYC here....lots of help and support for what you are contemplating.

Fisherlady, thnx. I think I may have seen that thread before but forgot about it. I search for so many things, lol. And then of course sometimes I forget which thread I am on when posting. This is one of my favorite threads and I know I tend to be 'chatty' and that causes me to wander to different subjects at times.

 

[ochochicas]

Most of the time the chicks or chickens "disappear" and no one seems to notice. Last year I hatched 9 eggs - 6 pullets and 3 cockerels. I sold three of the pullets so I was left with three of each gender. Each cockerel was bonded to one of the pullets. so I had had three pairs of chicks that were very bonded to each other. As the cockerels got older, I had to decide to sell two of them. I assumed the two pullets who lost their "mate" would become friends with each other. Unfortunately one of the pullets, who was the runt of the brood, seemed to become depressed and quit eating. I'm not sure if it is just a coincidence, or if she was really feeling lost without her buddy. In any event, she lost weight and became sickly. Eventually the other chickens started to pick on her and she was injured. It has been several months and she is now living in the house recovering from a leg injury. I'm starting to think she already had some underlying medical issues that became more prevalent when she didn't have her cockerel to protect her.

 

[Faraday40]

My Broody Blues
I mentioned before that my bantam orp has been toying with being broody. (Staying in nest box, screaming, etc.) At first she was laying, but her last egg was Jan 27th. It seemed like she was totally ready because last week she was trying to hatch invisible eggs. I added some golf balls & fake eggs to her nest & made arrangements to pick up some fertile eggs this weekend. Now I am finding her out of the nest box during the day & only in there at night. Can I coax her back into the mood?

Today, I put her in a storage tub cage in the garage (dark quiet place away from the flock). 1/2 is a nest box & the other 1/2 has food, water, & floor space to poop. I moved some of her feathers & some dummy ceramic eggs into the box. Could the ceramic eggs be an issue? Is there anything else I can do to persuade her?