Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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Eggciting about egg BG, and that mama is coming back into laying. She sure has been a good one. Keep us updated on hatch and of course your awesome pics. we'll be waitng

 

[Miss Lydia]

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So sorry you hear about your broody and your chick Johnn, maybe this coming spring one of your hens will bless you with some chicks.

well this really annoys me in so many ways 2 of my hens were killed which two were they? the two that went broody! but this year i had a ex battery hen go broody she seemed really keen hopefully she might again next year

I'm sorry Johnn, did predators get your hens? and we'll all be pulling for your ex battery hen to go broody for ya.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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We have alot of wild turkeys around here too and lil ones so I guess Turkeys in general make good broodys.

Now wonder what it would be like to have Guineas?

I know you are kidding, but guineas are also pretty stupid. A neighbor up the road had some. One day they traveled down the road, 1/2 mile to my house. 2 got hit by cars that day. Several others got hit in the following days. That farm went from having 14 guineas to having 3 in just a few short weeks. Mostly do to car hits. And that farm was on a dirt road. They all got hit on the main road. I decided there and then I would never have them. Besides ticks were the reason I wanted them, and my Sumatra's keep that well under control.

No guineas for us. I knda like our lil family no one gets into major fighting, and they all get along together. I may continue to research Turkeys though would like to add them to our process list, but we'll see. I don't live close to any hard roads, and our closest neighbor is across the river so noise wouldn't be a problem, if they can put up with my goose hollering every once in a while, so far no complaints.

and my dogs baking at the unseen predators.

 

[Johnn]

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well this really annoys me in so many ways 2 of my hens were killed which two were they? the two that went broody! but this year i had a ex battery hen go broody she seemed really keen hopefully she might again next year

I'm sorry Johnn, did predators get your hens? and we'll all be pulling for your ex battery hen to go broody for ya.

yes, stoat got the first and not sure who got the second, and thanks i think im going to get a couple of orpingtons after winter

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I'm sorry Johnn, did predators get your hens? and we'll all be pulling for your ex battery hen to go broody for ya.

yes, stoat got the first and not sure who got the second, and thanks i think im going to get a couple of orpingtons after winter

I have heard of stoats but what exactly are they? I have 2 Lavender Orps Hens they are the greatest. lay a nice large egg too. Haven't ever gone broody though but they were hatched in an incubator and i do think that has it's draw back for making a broody hen, Just my 2 cents though.

 

[Johnn]

they are like weasels they go white for winter aswell to fit in, type them into google, nasty things

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Okay we have weasels here, nasty things for sure. thank goodness my dogs keep most preds away and at night everyone is locked up, I have lost 3 hens from something during the day though never left a trace either. spread out over a couple of years.

 

[perchie.girl]

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well I know the wild turkeys I hunt every year sure are good broody's

We have alot of wild turkeys around here too and lil ones so I guess Turkeys in general make good broodys.

Now wonder what it would be like to have Guineas?

Domesticated Guineas Historically are not good moms. They get too distracted.

But when you do find a Guinea who actually hatches out her eggs and cares for her babies..... Watch out. Mommas and Dads as well as aunties and Uncles will warm Keets and feed them and keep an eye out for them. In a flock of free range semi feral guineas that has been established and stable for a couple of years you will see the Bachelor Cocks taking care of the littluns too. They only have to get up to about week one and then Watchout. By the end of week two the Guinea Keets can roost in the trees with momma.

Guineas are just more wild in nature and have a different behavioral set than Chickens do. In the wild males and females will pair off. Plus they haven't been domesticated as long. You can condition them to come in for the night with some tasty tidbits and a noise like a bell or clicker or just hollering out Treat Treat Treat.... They will come running in from the fields if they aren't already on hand at the usual time for "dinner" to be served IN their coop. If they are ranging too far away from home they are looking for food. Conditioning is not quite training though.

The best thing though is to raise the Keets with a Chicken Broody. The final result is a more relaxed individual that wants to hang around at home. My ultimate goal is to have between 30 and 40 Guineas at home at all times. I wont be able to do that with Guinea Mommas.... I will either have to incubate or have broody hens to raise them up.

 

[perchie.girl]

On the subject of Guineas.... so far I was curious to see how a broody Guinea would behave. With chikens the momma just hunkers down and growls and complains if you distrub her or she may even peck at you......

I think I am definately going to use an Incubator or a Broody hen.

OH MY GAWD..... lol.....

 

[Miss Lydia]

perchie.girl :

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We have alot of wild turkeys around here too and lil ones so I guess Turkeys in general make good broodys.

Now wonder what it would be like to have Guineas?

Domesticated Guineas Historically are not good moms. They get too distracted.

But when you do find a Guinea who actually hatches out her eggs and cares for her babies..... Watch out. Mommas and Dads as well as aunties and Uncles will warm Keets and feed them and keep an eye out for them. In a flock of free range semi feral guineas that has been established and stable for a couple of years you will see the Bachelor Cocks taking care of the littluns too. They only have to get up to about week one and then Watchout. By the end of week two the Guinea Keets can roost in the trees with momma.

Guineas are just more wild in nature and have a different behavioral set than Chickens do. In the wild males and females will pair off. Plus they haven't been domesticated as long. You can condition them to come in for the night with some tasty tidbits and a noise like a bell or clicker or just hollering out Treat Treat Treat.... They will come running in from the fields if they aren't already on hand at the usual time for "dinner" to be served IN their coop. If they are ranging too far away from home they are looking for food. Conditioning is not quite training though.

The best thing though is to raise the Keets with a Chicken Broody. The final result is a more relaxed individual that wants to hang around at home. My ultimate goal is to have between 30 and 40 Guineas at home at all times. I wont be able to do that with Guinea Mommas.... I will either have to incubate or have broody hens to raise them up.​

wow Deb that was great info, and that was a good video too. Then of course I got caught up in the others over at the side

Looking forward to when you get yours and see them.