Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

Don't you find they look like turkeys when they do this? I love it! They are so grouchy! haha
I've never had a hen that would attack me. I pet my broodies a lot when they are setting, and after a few days they just seem to soak up the attention. My barred rock was bitter for the first week, after that she would close her eyes and enjoy the scratch between the wattles. Now she doesn't care if I handle her chicks. They all attack other chickens/pets that come near. I love when they attack my dogs. It cracks me up!

I prefer they attack me. I only handle the chicks if they are stuck or need assistance. Otherwise they are left to be chickens who are strong and smart enough to free range. Nature should tell them EVERYTHING is a threat to their babies. This will mellow in a few days and she will stop flogging me.. Right now she is on high alert to protect her 9 babies!

 

[stonykill]

That's almost the same thing Topsy my silky did the last time when she went broody. She walked around all puffed up with her wings lifted squawking at everyone.

all of my Sumatra broodys act like this. predictable but hillarious

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

That's almost the same thing Topsy my silky did the last time when she went broody. She walked around all puffed up with her wings lifted squawking at everyone.

My Summer, bantam brahma, did that to. Like she was trying to tell everyone how awesome she was. It was hilarious because normally she is the quietest chicken I have ever owned.

 

[Johnn]

Currently my alpha roo is a 38 week old silkie. He's ruling over two 22 week old cockerels. A welsummer and Ameraucana. He has no trouble maintaining his position. When my alpha roo was a White Leghorn this guy was never chased by the WL but the other cockerel, a lavender Orpington was constantly getting a beat down.
My oldest silkie girl is Topsy and she was the lowest ranked until some newer chicks hatched. She fights just as well as the EE for her spot in the ranks. Of course that's when she isn't broody. She's been broody twice in her brief 38 weeks.
The silkies have a sweet side that makes them gentle by nature. But they also fight for their position.

well if this november is lucky for me i will hatch out some silkies with the next broody, if this november is bad for me i will replace missing hens with silkies. By the way when chicks have grown up with the flock does that mean when they get older they don't have to go through the pecking order because they have been shown whos boss thorugh their time with the mother?

 

[stonykill]

well if this november is lucky for me i will hatch out some silkies with the next broody, if this november is bad for me i will replace missing hens with silkies. By the way when chicks have grown up with the flock does that mean when they get older they don't have to go through the pecking order because they have been shown whos boss thorugh their time with the mother?

yes, they are accepted into the flock through mama

 

[Tripp16]

Ahh Im with Stoney! I LOVE my ducks now!! Today I was cleaning out their pen and to my surprise they had hidden a HUGE nest of 18 eggs!! I just thought they or something was eating them! Glad to know they were laying them and building a nest. Im not letting them go broody yet because of the heat but I think Lilly was thinking on it because she did not like me taking those eggs...

Time to find me a drake!

 

[stonykill]

Ahh Im with Stoney! I LOVE my ducks now!! Today I was cleaning out their pen and to my surprise they had hidden a HUGE nest of 18 eggs!! I just thought they or something was eating them! Glad to know they were laying them and building a nest. Im not letting them go broody yet because of the heat but I think Lilly was thinking on it because she did not like me taking those eggs...

Time to find me a drake!

 

[Tanichca]

Well, Momma pushed the first baby, Floppy Ivana, out of the nest. Though maybe it's just because Ivana hasn't learned how to make her legs work and so couldn't back under her mom when her mom moved a few inches away. Either way, the baby is in a heating pad on my sister's lap, and has learned to drink and hold her head up. We have three more pips (yes, I peeked under momma hen for a few seconds, so shoot me.) and one of them is the rosecomb egg from my breeding pair!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well, Momma pushed the first baby, Floppy Ivana, out of the nest. Though maybe it's just because Ivana hasn't learned how to make her legs work and so couldn't back under her mom when her mom moved a few inches away. Either way, the baby is in a heating pad on my sister's lap, and has learned to drink and hold her head up. We have three more pips (yes, I peeked under momma hen for a few seconds, so shoot me.) and one of them is the rosecomb egg from my breeding pair! 

Yeah! Can't wait to see pics! Don't feel bad, I do it too. I suppose maybe by the time I've seen enough of them hatch I'll stop peeking, but I doubt it.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I'm jealous of anybody whose hen lets them peek! Mine would go nuts. So I have to leave them alone for every bodies safety! stoneykill, I noticed some of your chicks have black and yellow feet - is this a characteristics of the breed? I've been given some that have different colorations, sometimes just a few toes are yellow, but they have similar markings, facial especially... just curious.