Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

Not having a roo is a personal matter ,but my chickens free range and I would never not have a rooster, I have heard them make the run for cover sound many times and to me thats a valuable reason for having them. Plus I think the girls like having them around, I have found both my roos in the nest box with their girls and being over all very sweet to them.

agreed. 95% of my chickens are free range. I do have a few pens with hens and roosters. Here is what I have noticed. Free range roosters aren't any problem with humans or mama's at all. my roo's walk right up to my feet and beg for food. My free range roosters that is. My penned roosters see me as another rooster and sometimes choose to fight me. I've been spurred many times, and one 4 lb sumatra roo drew blood the other day. Once I show them I'm head roo, they back down for a few weeks before challenging me again.
I think of penned roo's as a dog in a car. VERY protective of his space.

These are my observations from my flock. your results may vary. Personally, I want roo's around to protect the free range girls, and to keep the penned girls laying fertile eggs that I can find without easter egg hunting.

 

[Tripp16]

My Broody momma is on her 4th day sitting! I cant wait until monday (day 7) to candle the eggs!! Miss Lydia, I thought your girl was ahead of mine but you said earlier that she was on day 4 also, I guess that means we are hatch buddies! Haha!

Is anyone else having trouble waiting!? The wait is killing me. I just have to do stuff to get my mind off of her.... LOL

 

[bobbieschicks]

UGH! I don't know what to do. I hate the idea of getting rid of all the roosters, Foghorn has been a great rooster for the girls, but I can't have him killing another member of the flock. Francis is young and frisky he keeps butting heads with Foghorn. I don't have the room to pen them separately from the girls.

I have a small backyard and free ranging is limited to those times when I am outside with them. If I keep just Daisy, the Silkie, would he be a good rooster for the girls and the chicks? I could keep his topknot trimmed. I did that a couple of weeks ago and he loved it. Here is their environment as viewed from my back door - before I added the overhead netting.

 

[LinnyCK]

Meet Mildred's new hatchlings.......Nugget and Noodle!

 

[stonykill]

how many chickens in the run? And how many are roo's?

UGH! I don't know what to do. I hate the idea of getting rid of all the roosters, Foghorn has been a great rooster for the girls, but I can't have him killing another member of the flock. Francis is young and frisky he keeps butting heads with Foghorn. I don't have the room to pen them separately from the girls.

I have a small backyard and free ranging is limited to those times when I am outside with them. If I keep just Daisy, the Silkie, would he be a good rooster for the girls and the chicks? I could keep his topknot trimmed. I did that a couple of weeks ago and he loved it. Here is their environment as viewed from my back door - before I added the overhead netting.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww adorable..

Meet Mildred's new hatchlings.......Nugget and Noodle!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have 8 pullets and 3 roosters. Of the roosters, Foghorn is the oldest he's 39 weeks old. Francis and Daisy are both 20 weeks old.

 

[Miss Lydia]

agreed. 95% of my chickens are free range. I do have a few pens with hens and roosters. Here is what I have noticed. Free range roosters aren't any problem with humans or mama's at all. my roo's walk right up to my feet and beg for food. My free range roosters that is. My penned roosters see me as another rooster and sometimes choose to fight me. I've been spurred many times, and one 4 lb sumatra roo drew blood the other day. Once I show them I'm head roo, they back down for a few weeks before challenging me again.
I think of penned roo's as a dog in a car. VERY protective of his space.

These are my observations from my flock. your results may vary. Personally, I want roo's around to protect the free range girls, and to keep the penned girls laying fertile eggs that I can find without easter egg hunting.

My Broody momma is on her 4th day sitting! I cant wait until monday (day 7) to candle the eggs!! Miss Lydia, I thought your girl was ahead of mine but you said earlier that she was on day 4 also, I guess that means we are hatch buddies! Haha!

Is anyone else having trouble waiting!? The wait is killing me. I just have to do stuff to get my mind off of her.... LOL

your right scarlett, mine is on day 6. I am 2 days ahead of you. But still your hatching buddy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today BYC is driving me to drink,

only kidding. it is so slow.... To keep busy scarlett I have been starting my spring cleaning of the duck side of the coop, and also trying to do a bit of cleaning inside my coop/house. I get more done outside especially if the weather is nice, cold front coming tomorrow after today high in the mid 60's. Today I bought 4 EEchicks from a fellow BYCer. all girls so I will enjoy watching them inside my living room for a while, have a question. we had alot of wind and storms the other night and lost power for close to 41/2 hrs. what do ya'll do if you loose power and don't have a way to keep the brooder warm. I am worried. more storms and wind coming in tonight.

 

[Tripp16]

Today BYC is driving me to drink,

only kidding. it is so slow.... To keep busy scarlett I have been starting my spring cleaning of the duck side of the coop, and also trying to do a bit of cleaning inside my coop/house. I get more done outside especially if the weather is nice, cold front coming tomorrow after today high in the mid 60's. Today I bought 4 EEchicks from a fellow BYCer. all girls so I will enjoy watching them inside my living room for a while, have a question. we had alot of wind and storms the other night and lost power for close to 41/2 hrs. what do ya'll do if you loose power and don't have a way to keep the brooder warm. I am worried. more storms and wind coming in tonight.

I had to work today so that took my mind off her for most the time. I havent experienced losing power while having them in the brooder but what I would think would be best is to leave them in the brooder with everything sealed to keep the heat in. Maybe a heat pack if you had one heated already.

Are you going to keep the chicks with momma after they hatch? I am planning on it but she is a little bantam and they are standards so they will most likely outgrow her fast.... my plan is to move momma and (hopefully we will have babies) to my old bantam hutch and just let them hang out in there with a heat lamp in a corner just in case momma is too little to keep them warm.