Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Glenmar]

Thanks. I am so excited. These are my first broodies. I thought one of my Orpingtons would be first.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
ohhh so cute. They remind me of my baby Sumatra's. I'm going to assume the Ophingtons coloring goes just like Sumatra Coloring. The black and white chicks will go all black, and the little grey and white chicks will be your blues. Beautiful Blue mama you have there! Those chicks are precious. They really look just like my Sumatra chicks pictured a few pages ago on this thread.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:

Hope we both are successful.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I hope you won't be disappointed fox, but especially mama hen

can you get some chicks to put under if the eggs don't hatch?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
does broody #2 have any eggs under her? if not that may be your best option because mama #1 with chicks is going to want to take her chicks for field trips and she'll probably leave those eggs.

 

[Hope119]

Quote:
my 4 week old Sumatra's are still with mom, but have been roosting with her for a week. I expect mama Sumatra to be ready to let her chicks go in a few weeks. I'm guessing mama knows your little ones are ready. I'm more surprised they aren't roosting at almost 5 weeks old.

they are roosting tonight. Poor babies, they are now the youngest with no protection from mama (I think I even saw her pecking one once).

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
NellaBean, what a beautiful hen your mottled is, and those babies are precious, and they do look like stonys sumatras. I have a barred cochin bantam that looks like your girl she has 1 chick and is such a great mama. I have 3 new babies hope to get pictures tomorrow.

 

[featherz]

Quote:
does broody #2 have any eggs under her? if not that may be your best option because mama #1 with chicks is going to want to take her chicks for field trips and she'll probably leave those eggs.

broody #2 is sitting on one real and one fake egg, but her egg is unlikely to hatch, just a small pullet egg. I was waiting to see if I could break her since I don't need more chicks. But she's only been broody a week - if those two eggs hatch anyone think there's a chance she'll roll with it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
my 4 week old Sumatra's are still with mom, but have been roosting with her for a week. I expect mama Sumatra to be ready to let her chicks go in a few weeks. I'm guessing mama knows your little ones are ready. I'm more surprised they aren't roosting at almost 5 weeks old.

they are roosting tonight. Poor babies, they are now the youngest with no protection from mama (I think I even saw her pecking one once).

Hope I have 6 that are with out mamas tonight. 4 are only 4 weeks tomorrow, 2 are 5 weeks, they are roosting too, I know i saw mama pecking hers too, it's hard but I guess they feel like they are ready. I always hate this part because they babies have to go through the chicken hazing part of joining the flock.

 

[Hope119]

Quote:
our flock is weird - the main flock is just 5 plus that one that was broody... she does not even sleep close to others - she stays to the other side of the roost, today she was on the lower roost, on the other side. these three babies were closer to the "main flock". 33 gangsters probably can't be considered the "main flock" yet - they've spend much less time with everyone - less than a week.