Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Kaylish]

Wow 2nd brood?! Mine tried once failed then 3 months later hatched 9/10. I know she's a strong broody she stayed with them almost intel week 8 and laid eggs during. Congratulations ! I love the new baby chicks ! Let's see some pictures

I got six 2-3 month old bantam pullets last fall for my birthday (3 Cochin and 3 Silkie/Cochin mix) and they all seem to have the Super Broody gene

. They have their own pen with my bantam Cochin roo "Willy"- an absolute cuddle-bug and an amazing papa. Storm and Sky (silkie/cochin) are on their 2nd brood; they both hatched 100% on their first time in January along with Elsa (my only girl not currently broody). This is the 1st time for the "Twins" and Jasmine but they seem determined and quite happy to be sitting.
Though I am going to have to build some interior nests since I didn't actually anticipate having 5 broodies at once...

Even though these hatched in an incubator, I thought you'd enjoy the picture.

A bowl full of brahmas.

Awww!

 

[vpatt]

Ebony seems to be stuck tight. I am not definite on the hatch date.....but the week following Easter. I know they will be cute little boogers. I was somewhat disappointed to find out that all the eggs fertilized by my main roo will result in barred chicks. Hopefully the little EE roo from the feed store will be a keeper. The other roo is a pretty black Cochin but he stays in the pen with his little woman....the blue frizzle.....they are very cute. I wonder about the chance of her passing on her frizzledness.

I have the four feed store chicks and I have to say I MUCH prefer using a broody. I feel bad for them being in a brooder and mommyless and wow are they dusty. But very cute. They could be outside if it was warmer.....so soon I hope to get them outside. They are five weeks old now.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Even though these hatched in an incubator, I thought you'd enjoy the picture.

A bowl full of brahmas.

Very nice.
LofMc

 

[StarMeKritten]

Ebony seems to be stuck tight. I am not definite on the hatch date.....but the week following Easter. I know they will be cute little boogers. I was somewhat disappointed to find out that all the eggs fertilized by my main roo will result in barred chicks. Hopefully the little EE roo from the feed store will be a keeper. The other roo is a pretty black Cochin but he stays in the pen with his little woman....the blue frizzle.....they are very cute. I wonder about the chance of her passing on her frizzledness.

I have the four feed store chicks and I have to say I MUCH prefer using a broody. I feel bad for them being in a brooder and mommyless and wow are they dusty. But very cute. They could be outside if it was warmer.....so soon I hope to get them outside. They are five weeks old now.

Good luck to you and your broody!

Your frizzled blue hen and smooth feathered black rooster will give you about 25% frizzled blue, 25% frizzled black, 25% smooth blue and 25% smooth black.

 

[vpatt]

Good luck to you and your broody!

Your frizzled blue hen and smooth feathered black rooster will give you about 25% frizzled blue, 25% frizzled black, 25% smooth blue and 25% smooth black.

Does that mean a 25% chance of each color? Sorry...genetics is a great mystery to me. Thanx

 

[bumpercarr]

Does that mean a 25% chance of each color? Sorry...genetics is a great mystery to me. Thanx

Maybe another way to say it is that 1/2 will be frizzled, 1/2 will not be frizzled. 1/2 will be blue and 1/2 will be black. Therefore it would stand to reason that 1/2 of the frizzles would be blue, 1/2 of the frizzles would be black....etc, etc. Read up on frizzle genetics, I'm not sure but I think if you breed the frizzles back to each other it can cause some serious problems (from what I've read anyway). I don't breed anything that frizzles, so I haven't done much studying on the subject, just what I've run across while looking for other information.

 

[vpatt]

 Maybe another way to say it is that 1/2 will be frizzled, 1/2 will not be frizzled.  1/2 will be blue and 1/2 will be black. Therefore it would stand to reason that 1/2 of the frizzles would be blue, 1/2 of the frizzles would be black....etc, etc.  Read up on frizzle genetics, I'm not sure but I think if  you breed the frizzles back to each other it can cause some serious problems (from what I've read anyway).  I don't breed anything that frizzles, so I haven't done much studying on the subject, just what I've run across while looking for other information.

Thank you...I think I get that. Yes, I've read that frizzle to frizzle is not good....i'll look to see if there is a thread.

 

[StarMeKritten]

Does that mean a 25% chance of each color? Sorry...genetics is a great mystery to me. Thanx

Maybe another way to say it is that 1/2 will be frizzled, 1/2 will not be frizzled. 1/2 will be blue and 1/2 will be black. Therefore it would stand to reason that 1/2 of the frizzles would be blue, 1/2 of the frizzles would be black....etc, etc. Read up on frizzle genetics, I'm not sure but I think if you breed the frizzles back to each other it can cause some serious problems (from what I've read anyway). I don't breed anything that frizzles, so I haven't done much studying on the subject, just what I've run across while looking for other information.

Yes, 50% blue and 50% black. Also, 50% frizzled and 50% not frizzled. There's no correlation between the color and frizzling so roughly half frizzled and non frizzled of each color. And yes, it's definitely recommended to only breed frizzle to non-frizzle.

 

[Angie16hearts]

My BCM goes broody twice a year.  She will lay eggs for about 2 months (roughly 40 eggs or so), sits for almost a month, then raises her chicks for about 9 weeks.  Four to six weeks later she starts laying again and the process starts all over.   I know some hens are different though.  This girl really spends a lot of time with her chicks.  My other broody left her chicks at 5 weeks and laid an egg the next day.  She has not gone broody again, and I hope she doesn't.  She was not the best mother.  

Haha bad broody. Ya, mine is a OEG she laid 5-6 eggs and stayed with them. I'm curious knowing she will spend most of her life broody. When she first started laying we got 3-5 eggs and she tried to go broody. She stopped laying for three months then at 11 at night I hear a hen laying or just laid. It was pepper and went full broody that time! She let me move her, check her body out look and candle eggs without a warning. I like to hear everyone's broody stories .

 

[Angie16hearts]

I got six 2-3 month old bantam pullets last fall for my birthday (3 Cochin and 3 Silkie/Cochin mix) and they all seem to have the Super Broody gene . They have their own pen with my bantam Cochin roo "Willy"- an absolute cuddle-bug and an amazing papa. Storm and Sky (silkie/cochin) are on their 2nd brood; they both hatched 100% on their first time in January along with Elsa (my only girl not currently broody). This is the 1st time for the "Twins" and Jasmine but they seem determined and quite happy to be sitting.
Though I am going to have to build some interior nests since I didn't actually anticipate having 5 broodies at once...

Awww!

5 at once is crazy ! I have a cochin who hates to perch just sits. I'm waiting for her to go broody. Or at least hoping! I also have a bearded Mille Fluer D'uccle I would like to go broody. Guess I need to let nature take it's course.
I did get a incubator , been studying the process and seems my broody is a lot easier lol!